I don't know if this is happening everywhere, but I have seen in our area that there are at least two stores that are collecting donations for the food bank on a regular basis--at least I saw nothing that indicated a start date and/or end date for the collection. One place is the local national chainstore, where they have a basket of food for $1.00 or under or something to that effect right at the register. They also have a barrel in the entryway (where you pick up your cart if you so desire) where I suppose you could just bring in something to donate before you enter the store if you wanted. (I bet they wouldn't mind if you dropped something in that you bought in the store on the way out, either.... :)
The other place is a dollar store, where the price of the items is pretty much what you would expect. (Just don't forget the sales tax...) The cashier asks you if you want to donate at the register, (as they do at the national chainstore as well) and if the answer is yes, grabs an item from the basket, rings it up, and puts it away to be taken to the food bank.
To me, this indicates the great need that there is when it comes to food bank donations. Specifically in Idaho, you can read about what's happening when it comes to food banks in a couple of articles-- if you are in need of assistance in Coeur d' Alene you can look here, or if you can offer assistance in Pocatello by donating to the food bank, look here. The food drive in Pocatello is in connection with an Extreme Makeover: Home Edition project that will take place there, which I think is a great idea, since they want to help more than just the family that's getting the house.
So, I don't know if this retail-style food donation practice is everywhere, or just around here. In any case, from what I understand, the need for donations is growing, and apparently so are the businesses that are trying to meet the demand...
Showing posts with label helping each other. Show all posts
Showing posts with label helping each other. Show all posts
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
More food is being donated, but....
Unfortunately, there are more people who need it, so the problem remains. That seems to be one of the main messages of this article about hunger in Idaho. Thought you might like to see what they are saying about our fair state--it's not very good news, but I'm glad that people are giving more to help others out.
We are not much for peppers around here, so we rarely if ever buy them, but I saw in a local grocery chain's ad that they are selling different varieties of peppers for 2 for $3.00. That seemed really high to me--am I way off or is that just extraordinarily expensive? At any rate, it would be cheaper to grow your own, even if the seed packets are also expensive. Hope everyone is planning on some kind of garden this year--maybe I'll grow some peppers.....
We are not much for peppers around here, so we rarely if ever buy them, but I saw in a local grocery chain's ad that they are selling different varieties of peppers for 2 for $3.00. That seemed really high to me--am I way off or is that just extraordinarily expensive? At any rate, it would be cheaper to grow your own, even if the seed packets are also expensive. Hope everyone is planning on some kind of garden this year--maybe I'll grow some peppers.....
Monday, December 28, 2009
Kindness makes a difference
The economy doesn't seem to be kind to anyone these days, but a few experiences in the past couple of weeks remind me that people still are...
--I was debating on a purchase in a store that shall remain unnamed, but the price was somewhat steeper than I was wanting to pay. I kept coming back to look at the item that I was considering, and one of the store clerks said to the effect, "I'll let you know something--that will be 50% off tomorrow." I asked if it was just the following day (knowing I wouldn't be back the next day) and was told that it would be discounted for at least a week. There were not many of the item on the shelves, and the clerk even offered to put my name on it and put it under the counter. I declined, but said I would be back. I was grateful to the clerk for sharing that information.
I was back two days later, and the item was nowhere to be seen on the shelf I had visited previously. I need to mention that the store in question is not one that I would ordinarily frequent because (at least in my perception) the prices there tend to be higher. But because I had come back another day, and had not purchased the original item immediately, I had more time to look around. I came across something that was a perfect purchase at a reasonable price for someone else on my list, and was going up to purchase it, when I asked the clerk who was there (not the same one) if the fact that I couldn't find it on the shelf meant that they didn't have it. The clerk checked on the computer, and directed me to the promotional table, where, yes indeed, the original item was there, discounted price and all.
I don't mention the name of the store because I wouldn't want the store clerk who was so kind to get in trouble over it. But, I will point out that as a result of this employee's kindness, there were two purchases made, not one, and that now I will most likely return for further purchases sooner because I discovered, only because of my return visit, that there are more items that I may like to purchase eventually. The kindness of the employee does nothing but improve my overall impression of the store as well...
--I've been using coupons more, and there are times that I will go out of my way because the coupons enclosed in the newspaper make it worth my while to visit a particular shopping establishment. I can sometimes get sticker shock visiting the dairy section of just about any grocery store, especially when it comes to cheese prices. So recently, when there was a good coupon price on bricks of cheese, I made my way to the store in question so that I could take advantage of it.
When I got there, the advertised price on the dairy case was a dollar more than the coupon price. Thing is, on top of the bricks of cheese in question, someone had left one of the coupons so that someone else could take advantage of the better price. I left it there, since I had my coupon (and cheese limit) in hand, but I was really glad to see that someone was that considerate of others. It is that store's policy to have a coupon-sharing bin at the entrance to the store, but to go through the extra effort to help ensure that the coupon was used by placing it where someone who didn't have time to go through the bin/didn't know about the coupon price was just an example of extra kindness to me....
The preceding examples of kindness were personal experiences, but there are evidently many more experiences happening across our state where people are being kind to each other, if you look at this article from the Idaho Statesman. Despite the rough economy, many people in Idaho have made huge efforts to help those less fortunate.
Way to go, Idaho. Kindness does make a difference, whether it's materially with goods that are needed, or whether it's the smile that comes because you know someone is going to save a dollar because there was an individual nice enough to leave a coupon for someone else...
--I was debating on a purchase in a store that shall remain unnamed, but the price was somewhat steeper than I was wanting to pay. I kept coming back to look at the item that I was considering, and one of the store clerks said to the effect, "I'll let you know something--that will be 50% off tomorrow." I asked if it was just the following day (knowing I wouldn't be back the next day) and was told that it would be discounted for at least a week. There were not many of the item on the shelves, and the clerk even offered to put my name on it and put it under the counter. I declined, but said I would be back. I was grateful to the clerk for sharing that information.
I was back two days later, and the item was nowhere to be seen on the shelf I had visited previously. I need to mention that the store in question is not one that I would ordinarily frequent because (at least in my perception) the prices there tend to be higher. But because I had come back another day, and had not purchased the original item immediately, I had more time to look around. I came across something that was a perfect purchase at a reasonable price for someone else on my list, and was going up to purchase it, when I asked the clerk who was there (not the same one) if the fact that I couldn't find it on the shelf meant that they didn't have it. The clerk checked on the computer, and directed me to the promotional table, where, yes indeed, the original item was there, discounted price and all.
I don't mention the name of the store because I wouldn't want the store clerk who was so kind to get in trouble over it. But, I will point out that as a result of this employee's kindness, there were two purchases made, not one, and that now I will most likely return for further purchases sooner because I discovered, only because of my return visit, that there are more items that I may like to purchase eventually. The kindness of the employee does nothing but improve my overall impression of the store as well...
--I've been using coupons more, and there are times that I will go out of my way because the coupons enclosed in the newspaper make it worth my while to visit a particular shopping establishment. I can sometimes get sticker shock visiting the dairy section of just about any grocery store, especially when it comes to cheese prices. So recently, when there was a good coupon price on bricks of cheese, I made my way to the store in question so that I could take advantage of it.
When I got there, the advertised price on the dairy case was a dollar more than the coupon price. Thing is, on top of the bricks of cheese in question, someone had left one of the coupons so that someone else could take advantage of the better price. I left it there, since I had my coupon (and cheese limit) in hand, but I was really glad to see that someone was that considerate of others. It is that store's policy to have a coupon-sharing bin at the entrance to the store, but to go through the extra effort to help ensure that the coupon was used by placing it where someone who didn't have time to go through the bin/didn't know about the coupon price was just an example of extra kindness to me....
The preceding examples of kindness were personal experiences, but there are evidently many more experiences happening across our state where people are being kind to each other, if you look at this article from the Idaho Statesman. Despite the rough economy, many people in Idaho have made huge efforts to help those less fortunate.
Way to go, Idaho. Kindness does make a difference, whether it's materially with goods that are needed, or whether it's the smile that comes because you know someone is going to save a dollar because there was an individual nice enough to leave a coupon for someone else...
Friday, August 7, 2009
Thought the H1N1 virus was old news?
I hadn't thought about H1N1 all that much once summer started, but it did affect our family's travel plans recently. We had family come out from the Southeast for vacation, and got to visit with them one weekend down in Utah. We were going to go down the following weekend as well, until the Wednesday of that week we found out that one of the cousins had the swine flu, and another appeared to be developing similar symptoms. We didn't end up seeing the relatives from back east again before they left. It was a big disappointment, but we figured what was in Utah shouldn't be brought back to Idaho, if at all possible. Fortunately, the cousin who had it has gotten over it, and the second cousin had something, but it doesn't look like it was the same thing. Just a reminder-- in this case one close to home--that the swine flu (aka H1N1) is still something that brings to mind the saying, hope for the best, and prepare for the worst...
This article indicates that it is still a problem. Hopefully everyone is/is getting ready for a possible quarantine--even if a quarantine doesn't end up being declared, the emergency supplies you have on hand for a possible quarantine will come in handy for any other emergency as well.
One of my favorite sources for recommendations/information on the swine flu is Preparedness Pro, and here is a link to her swine flu archives. Haven't been to visit the sites I usually visit as regularly lately, (summer can do that to you :) and upon looking for another subject concerning the H1N1 virus on the Preparedness Pro site, I found out that there was a thought provoking post on the swine flu vaccinations posted only yesterday. Went searching, and found the archives. Amazing what you can find when you follow the links....
I also like this list over at Survival Lady. I wouldn't purchase everything on this list, and would add to it (as she suggests) according to my own family's particular needs, but it supplies a lot of food for thought about what might be needed in a pandemic situation. I think it was probably this list that prompted me to buy a second humidifier at a garage sale lately. Again, always hope that pandemic supplies won't be needed for an actual pandemic, but better to have it and not need it, than the other way around...
My condolences go out to the loved ones of Robert Manwill. There is a brief update on his case here.
This article indicates that it is still a problem. Hopefully everyone is/is getting ready for a possible quarantine--even if a quarantine doesn't end up being declared, the emergency supplies you have on hand for a possible quarantine will come in handy for any other emergency as well.
One of my favorite sources for recommendations/information on the swine flu is Preparedness Pro, and here is a link to her swine flu archives. Haven't been to visit the sites I usually visit as regularly lately, (summer can do that to you :) and upon looking for another subject concerning the H1N1 virus on the Preparedness Pro site, I found out that there was a thought provoking post on the swine flu vaccinations posted only yesterday. Went searching, and found the archives. Amazing what you can find when you follow the links....
I also like this list over at Survival Lady. I wouldn't purchase everything on this list, and would add to it (as she suggests) according to my own family's particular needs, but it supplies a lot of food for thought about what might be needed in a pandemic situation. I think it was probably this list that prompted me to buy a second humidifier at a garage sale lately. Again, always hope that pandemic supplies won't be needed for an actual pandemic, but better to have it and not need it, than the other way around...
My condolences go out to the loved ones of Robert Manwill. There is a brief update on his case here.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Have you seen Robert Manwill?
Just heard about the fact that Robert Manwill, an eight-year-old, went missing in Boise on Friday. Details and picture here.
There is currently no Amber Alert out for him. Please keep an eye out for him.
There is currently no Amber Alert out for him. Please keep an eye out for him.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Got land?
If your answer is no, you might be interested in the article, "Urban farmers make the most of tiny Boise plots". In Boise, people who don't have land work other people's land-- in return, for the most part, for labor or part of the produce. It sounds like a good plan if it works well for all parties involved, although there are a couple of downsides also included in the article.
I was interested to find this after a recent conversation I had with someone who is basically an expert in emergency preparedness. During that conversation, this person pointed out that the people who are "stuck" in the city with no way to garden will be in real trouble in the case of a food emergency because they don't have land to grow food. Perhaps if there were more programs like this around, there would be fewer problems if there were a disruption in transportation of food goods, less produce available from bigger farms, etc.
The thing is, it doesn't seem like this is a "program" per se--one of the people mentioned actually put fliers around just to find the landowners when he was first starting and wanted to use the land for food production. These people are just going out and finding a way to have land they can use, and perhaps make a profit as well. And how much land do you have at your disposal, really? Some of the people in the article use a front yard as a garden.
I recommend reading the entire article. It's amazing what people come up with when they try to come up with a solution, and are willing to help each other...
I was interested to find this after a recent conversation I had with someone who is basically an expert in emergency preparedness. During that conversation, this person pointed out that the people who are "stuck" in the city with no way to garden will be in real trouble in the case of a food emergency because they don't have land to grow food. Perhaps if there were more programs like this around, there would be fewer problems if there were a disruption in transportation of food goods, less produce available from bigger farms, etc.
The thing is, it doesn't seem like this is a "program" per se--one of the people mentioned actually put fliers around just to find the landowners when he was first starting and wanted to use the land for food production. These people are just going out and finding a way to have land they can use, and perhaps make a profit as well. And how much land do you have at your disposal, really? Some of the people in the article use a front yard as a garden.
I recommend reading the entire article. It's amazing what people come up with when they try to come up with a solution, and are willing to help each other...
Thursday, May 14, 2009
It takes more than food (water, and shelter) to survive well...
TV can be educational, or at the very least, it can make you think. Has anyone else been following the show "Out of the Wild" on the Discovery Channel? Nine people volunteered to go out into the Alaskan wilderness, with no idea as to how long they would be there, with directions to go from shelter to shelter to shelter until they make it "out of the wild." They have to endure the cold, hunt, endure the cold, manage the conditions while ill, endure the cold, get along with each other, endure the cold, go hungry, endure the cold....well, you get the idea. As of this writing, four people have used the GPS locator each one of them has been given, which when activated immediately results in a helicopter ride back to civilization. That leaves 5 who have already endured more than two weeks in harsh conditions, and who, at the end of the last episode, were setting off on yet another trek, not knowing that they had farther to go than they thought, seeing as how they had misread their map... There is no prize for anyone, unless you count the satisfaction of knowing that they can survive the experience, so it's not a matter of money or luxury items as motivation.
What have I been thinking? Some of the reasons that people went home were really a surprise to me. Let me preface my thoughts with the statement that I really admire everyone who was willing to undergo this experience, and anything I say here is not meant as a criticism or negative judgment. It just made me rethink what may be necessary in an emergency situation, and with the acknowledgement that I may remember some things wrong, here's what I've been learning (I apologize that I don't remember everyone's name--I will just use no one's name instead):
--The person who decided to "push the button" on the GPS locator first was actually the person with the best hunting skills. At first I thought this person was the oldest in the group (I don't think I saw the first episode in its entirety) but as far as I can figure, she was the second oldest. I was really rooting for her, because in an emergency situation you hope everyone will make it, and her attitude at first was that she was going to stick with it. She then decided that she didn't want to do it anymore, and if memory serves, said that she was "too old" to finish the experience. She pushed the button pretty early on. (Easy for me to say, I wasn't there...)
The thing that saddens me about this, especially as I have seen further episodes, is what an asset she would have been to the team with her hunting skills. There have been many days where the remaining individuals have gone with little to no food in part due to their limited hunting skills. She was and would have continued to be a valuable contributor to the team if she would have been able to continue. My point? Age is something you can't change--everyone gets older, and it certainly beats the alternative. Many times with age comes greater knowledge and experience--knowledge and experience that would be gravely missed were it not there to benefit the group going through difficult circumstances.
--The second and third people to leave left together, but for different reasons. One was the actual oldest person in the group, again, as far as I could gather, and he had great difficulty keeping up with the strenuous requirements of traveling and enduring the conditions. He tried, but he was slowing down the group, and he finally decided to go home. I don't know that anyone would be ready for hiking the Alaskan wilderness, but being in the best possible physical condition that we can be will help us in any type of emergency situation. Hey, it can't hurt....
The other person that left that day was the other member of the team that was experienced in outdoor activities and skills. He didn't leave because of physical duress (although I'm sure there was physical duress for everyone involved)--he left because he didn't like being part of a group in this type of situation. From what I could gather, he was used to making decisions on his own, and he didn't like the group dynamic, and having to consult with/wait for/depend on/ others in a situation that he recognized was dangerous, such as when there was a slower member of the group, and he was anxious to get to shelter for survival purposes. He elected to go home because he was used to doing things by himself, and he no longer wanted to participate in the experience.
What did I learn from this? We need to prepare for situations in such a way that we can have minimum stress--and respect other people's differences. Not everyone will want to be part of a big group, but their knowledge and skills can be a benefit to everyone if they are allowed to contribute in ways that they are comfortable with. Because this person didn't like the constant interaction, the group as a whole lost the valuable skills he had in dealing with the outdoor conditions....
--I would have to say that the last person to date that decided to "push the button" was the biggest surprise to me. He was the strongest of the group, and one of, if not the, youngest member. He was also probably the largest, and when there was little to no food to sustain the group, he suffered greatly, to the point where he passed out in one of the shelters. Too many calories used, with too few calories consumed, is not a good combination for anyone, and it resulted in his decision to leave the experience. It makes sense that a bigger person would need more calories to maintain the strength needed in any kind of emergency situation--it just didn't occur to me that in the kind of situation where there are fewer calories available per person that the smaller individuals might last longer because they need fewer calories...but that's what happened here, and the person I thought would be among the last to get a helicopter ride has already boarded and gone...
So it takes a lot more than just food, water and shelter (although some of the shelters featured on this show looked pretty insubstantial) to survive in emergency conditions. There is attitude, physical fitness level, and a number of other factors that will affect the outcome when you/I /we find ourselves in harsh conditions. Watching them skin and prepare and eat the wild animals they were able to hunt successfully shows me how much I have to learn in that area--and it also shows me that you do what you have to do. Having the knowledge ahead of time so that you can get every last bit of nourishment out of whatever you are lucky enough to get your hands on will help a great deal if it's all you have to eat. It may also be good for nourishment and morale if you have food stashed in different places (as they find in the various shelters) that you can pull out as a last resort when you are truly in difficult straits...
Well, my thanks goes out to Discovery Channel for airing Out of the Wild The Alaska Experiment. I just went to find the website for it to link it here, so I will probably check that out some more, but the program times are there. (I don't know anyone who works for this channel, I just like what I'm learning on this program.) If they air repeats, I would recommend watching them.
How would you/I/we do if we found ourselves in harsh circumstances working with a group of people who had the same goals to survive? What are our attitudes? What can we contribute towards the group's survival? Hopefully we are/are getting prepared enough so that we can supplement our diet/supplies with some meat from local wildlife, rather than depending solely on their occasional appearance to have anything to eat at all. After all, wildlife wants to survive as well. Just watching the beavers on this show was evidence of that.
What have I been thinking? Some of the reasons that people went home were really a surprise to me. Let me preface my thoughts with the statement that I really admire everyone who was willing to undergo this experience, and anything I say here is not meant as a criticism or negative judgment. It just made me rethink what may be necessary in an emergency situation, and with the acknowledgement that I may remember some things wrong, here's what I've been learning (I apologize that I don't remember everyone's name--I will just use no one's name instead):
--The person who decided to "push the button" on the GPS locator first was actually the person with the best hunting skills. At first I thought this person was the oldest in the group (I don't think I saw the first episode in its entirety) but as far as I can figure, she was the second oldest. I was really rooting for her, because in an emergency situation you hope everyone will make it, and her attitude at first was that she was going to stick with it. She then decided that she didn't want to do it anymore, and if memory serves, said that she was "too old" to finish the experience. She pushed the button pretty early on. (Easy for me to say, I wasn't there...)
The thing that saddens me about this, especially as I have seen further episodes, is what an asset she would have been to the team with her hunting skills. There have been many days where the remaining individuals have gone with little to no food in part due to their limited hunting skills. She was and would have continued to be a valuable contributor to the team if she would have been able to continue. My point? Age is something you can't change--everyone gets older, and it certainly beats the alternative. Many times with age comes greater knowledge and experience--knowledge and experience that would be gravely missed were it not there to benefit the group going through difficult circumstances.
--The second and third people to leave left together, but for different reasons. One was the actual oldest person in the group, again, as far as I could gather, and he had great difficulty keeping up with the strenuous requirements of traveling and enduring the conditions. He tried, but he was slowing down the group, and he finally decided to go home. I don't know that anyone would be ready for hiking the Alaskan wilderness, but being in the best possible physical condition that we can be will help us in any type of emergency situation. Hey, it can't hurt....
The other person that left that day was the other member of the team that was experienced in outdoor activities and skills. He didn't leave because of physical duress (although I'm sure there was physical duress for everyone involved)--he left because he didn't like being part of a group in this type of situation. From what I could gather, he was used to making decisions on his own, and he didn't like the group dynamic, and having to consult with/wait for/depend on/ others in a situation that he recognized was dangerous, such as when there was a slower member of the group, and he was anxious to get to shelter for survival purposes. He elected to go home because he was used to doing things by himself, and he no longer wanted to participate in the experience.
What did I learn from this? We need to prepare for situations in such a way that we can have minimum stress--and respect other people's differences. Not everyone will want to be part of a big group, but their knowledge and skills can be a benefit to everyone if they are allowed to contribute in ways that they are comfortable with. Because this person didn't like the constant interaction, the group as a whole lost the valuable skills he had in dealing with the outdoor conditions....
--I would have to say that the last person to date that decided to "push the button" was the biggest surprise to me. He was the strongest of the group, and one of, if not the, youngest member. He was also probably the largest, and when there was little to no food to sustain the group, he suffered greatly, to the point where he passed out in one of the shelters. Too many calories used, with too few calories consumed, is not a good combination for anyone, and it resulted in his decision to leave the experience. It makes sense that a bigger person would need more calories to maintain the strength needed in any kind of emergency situation--it just didn't occur to me that in the kind of situation where there are fewer calories available per person that the smaller individuals might last longer because they need fewer calories...but that's what happened here, and the person I thought would be among the last to get a helicopter ride has already boarded and gone...
So it takes a lot more than just food, water and shelter (although some of the shelters featured on this show looked pretty insubstantial) to survive in emergency conditions. There is attitude, physical fitness level, and a number of other factors that will affect the outcome when you/I /we find ourselves in harsh conditions. Watching them skin and prepare and eat the wild animals they were able to hunt successfully shows me how much I have to learn in that area--and it also shows me that you do what you have to do. Having the knowledge ahead of time so that you can get every last bit of nourishment out of whatever you are lucky enough to get your hands on will help a great deal if it's all you have to eat. It may also be good for nourishment and morale if you have food stashed in different places (as they find in the various shelters) that you can pull out as a last resort when you are truly in difficult straits...
Well, my thanks goes out to Discovery Channel for airing Out of the Wild The Alaska Experiment. I just went to find the website for it to link it here, so I will probably check that out some more, but the program times are there. (I don't know anyone who works for this channel, I just like what I'm learning on this program.) If they air repeats, I would recommend watching them.
How would you/I/we do if we found ourselves in harsh circumstances working with a group of people who had the same goals to survive? What are our attitudes? What can we contribute towards the group's survival? Hopefully we are/are getting prepared enough so that we can supplement our diet/supplies with some meat from local wildlife, rather than depending solely on their occasional appearance to have anything to eat at all. After all, wildlife wants to survive as well. Just watching the beavers on this show was evidence of that.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
You can't believe everything you read or, Is this really happening?
Yet another entry from the e-mail files. Received an e-mail today saying that the sender had received a message and wanting to know if anyone in their e-mail realm could verify it or not. Can you? Here is the message, minus the added personal commentary, plus the extremely limited editing, and compliments of copy and paste:
"I just don't know how true this is - it sounds really wackky. So will have to see what is up.
I had a conversation last night with a family member who lives in north central Missouri out in farm country. We were discussing the signs of the times and he told me something that made my blood run cold! His friend/neighbor works for an agricultural supply company that furnishes fertilizer, pesticides, and the next season's crop seeds to most of the farmers throughout his region there in Missouri.
According to his friend, business at his company should be going full throttle right now, they'll do 80% of their business in a four month time frame. But right now, their business is DEAD, DEAD, DEAD! When the orders didn't start coming in at the end of Feb. like they usually do in years past, the company called the farmers to see when they were going to start ordering. They got the same answer from almost everyone, THEY WOULDN'T BE PLANTING THIS YEAR!
The agricultural supply company's business IS DOWN 85% over the same time last year, the farmers can't get credit from the banks to buy their seed and supplies for the beginning of the growing season. If this problem is typical across the country then the horse manure will be hitting the fan THIS YEAR. I'd like to get a sense of what's going on in other parts of the country and see if this credit problem is regional or national in scope. I'm hoping members of the forum can check in their local areas to see what's happening.
My relative's friend said that there is typically a 6-8 week lag time between ordering these supplies then getting them in and then out to the farmers. If the credit backup broke loose tomorrow, they could still get most of the supplies in and out to the farmers by the end of the planting season. But if the problem persists for another 30 days or more then forget it. This season will be toast as far as the food supply is concerned.
With all the talk in recent months about drought, floods, cold weather, wheat rust, false smut, and the like, I never considered the fact that perhaps the single biggest threat to our food supply would be the lack of credit!
I posed this on another thread a few days ago. Add to this the current world food storage supply which has been severely depleted and we are talking disaster here. The writing is on the wall. If building up your food storage is not your primary goal this year, then you are just plain nuts.
One of my best friends tells me of another of her friends- they own and supply about half of the dairy to the Las Vegas area.The Government is forcing them to sell their milk at a certain price which does not cover their expenses. They are about bankrupt. When they finally do go bankrupt the Government plans on taking over their business."
End of e-mail.
I asked the person who sent it to me if I could post this on this blog, and the first reaction they had was to wait until we found out if it was true or not. I said maybe someone in this national network knows if this is true, so it was agreed that I could post it. Anyone know what the status is with farming this year? I know that farming is down--I've posted about the decrease on my other blog. This, however, if true, is a decrease on a much larger scale.
Then there is the classic "friend of a friend" or "friend of a relative" thing going on. I'm always suspicious of reports where it's someone's best friend's uncle's mechanic's friend of a friend or something vague like that. Hard to know if it's true or not, because it could just be an attempt to respect someone's anonymity.
Not trying to perpetuate rumors, just trying to find out what is really going on. I actually checked out snopes.com before writing this post, but there was nothing there, at least under what I entered as the main ideas. Things can be scary enough without exaggerating an already difficult situation. If someone has the facts, I would appreciate the input....
"I just don't know how true this is - it sounds really wackky. So will have to see what is up.
I had a conversation last night with a family member who lives in north central Missouri out in farm country. We were discussing the signs of the times and he told me something that made my blood run cold! His friend/neighbor works for an agricultural supply company that furnishes fertilizer, pesticides, and the next season's crop seeds to most of the farmers throughout his region there in Missouri.
According to his friend, business at his company should be going full throttle right now, they'll do 80% of their business in a four month time frame. But right now, their business is DEAD, DEAD, DEAD! When the orders didn't start coming in at the end of Feb. like they usually do in years past, the company called the farmers to see when they were going to start ordering. They got the same answer from almost everyone, THEY WOULDN'T BE PLANTING THIS YEAR!
The agricultural supply company's business IS DOWN 85% over the same time last year, the farmers can't get credit from the banks to buy their seed and supplies for the beginning of the growing season. If this problem is typical across the country then the horse manure will be hitting the fan THIS YEAR. I'd like to get a sense of what's going on in other parts of the country and see if this credit problem is regional or national in scope. I'm hoping members of the forum can check in their local areas to see what's happening.
My relative's friend said that there is typically a 6-8 week lag time between ordering these supplies then getting them in and then out to the farmers. If the credit backup broke loose tomorrow, they could still get most of the supplies in and out to the farmers by the end of the planting season. But if the problem persists for another 30 days or more then forget it. This season will be toast as far as the food supply is concerned.
With all the talk in recent months about drought, floods, cold weather, wheat rust, false smut, and the like, I never considered the fact that perhaps the single biggest threat to our food supply would be the lack of credit!
I posed this on another thread a few days ago. Add to this the current world food storage supply which has been severely depleted and we are talking disaster here. The writing is on the wall. If building up your food storage is not your primary goal this year, then you are just plain nuts.
One of my best friends tells me of another of her friends- they own and supply about half of the dairy to the Las Vegas area.The Government is forcing them to sell their milk at a certain price which does not cover their expenses. They are about bankrupt. When they finally do go bankrupt the Government plans on taking over their business."
End of e-mail.
I asked the person who sent it to me if I could post this on this blog, and the first reaction they had was to wait until we found out if it was true or not. I said maybe someone in this national network knows if this is true, so it was agreed that I could post it. Anyone know what the status is with farming this year? I know that farming is down--I've posted about the decrease on my other blog. This, however, if true, is a decrease on a much larger scale.
Then there is the classic "friend of a friend" or "friend of a relative" thing going on. I'm always suspicious of reports where it's someone's best friend's uncle's mechanic's friend of a friend or something vague like that. Hard to know if it's true or not, because it could just be an attempt to respect someone's anonymity.
Not trying to perpetuate rumors, just trying to find out what is really going on. I actually checked out snopes.com before writing this post, but there was nothing there, at least under what I entered as the main ideas. Things can be scary enough without exaggerating an already difficult situation. If someone has the facts, I would appreciate the input....
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