I admit to being surprised at the reports of Sam’s Club and other retailers limiting bulk sales of rice. Panic-buyers, breathlessly reported by mass media, generating concern among the public of possible food shortages, and skyrocketing prices of basic food staples. Is this the next crisis we must face in these bizarre times, or is this just another sign of the times?
In fact, WSJ’s Brett Arends opined the other day that “maybe it’s time for Americans to start stockpiling food.”
Maybe it is.
9/11, Katrina, H5N1 preparation, …. If these events didn’t get America’s attention, then maybe a potential problem with food supplies will do the job.
We have been buying a few extra cans all along, trying to get to the point that we can go for ninety days — like FEMA has recommended to our hospitals — but 90 days of self-sufficiency is a tall order. That’s a lot of cans.
Kind of like filling the Strategic Petroleum reserve. If it’s there when you need it, it really doesn’t matter what you paid for it.
Previously: “What’s in your emergency kit?”
Trackposted to Rosemary’s Thoughts, Adam’s Blog, Maggie’s Notebook, Right Truth, Shadowscope, The Amboy Times, Leaning Straight Up, Conservative Cat, Pursuing Holiness, Diary of the Mad Pigeon, third world county, Faultline USA, Woman Honor Thyself, A Newt One- help us catch a monster, The World According to Carl, Celebrity Smack, The Pink Flamingo, , Right Voices, and The Yankee Sailor, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.
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Filed under: News and politics | Tagged: 9/11, Brett Arends, emergency kit, food shortage, H5N1, Katrina, News and politics, WSJ |
no2liberals
Robert D
Nuke's 
The way to stockpile is simple: designate a pantry area of your home and week-by-week buy just a little more in the way of staples. It’s always wise to have a couple of months’ supply of food on hand, anyway, and a plan for its consumption; it ameliorates the tendency retailers have trained society into to impulse buy whatever is being pushed for the retailers’ benefits. Planning meals ahead, planning purchases, simply filling ones pantry and keeping it stocked: all just good habits.
The “run” on rice that Costcos and to a lesser extent Sam’s have experienced recently on bulk purchases (of 20# bags of basmati, jasmine and such) is attributed by the reports I’ve seen mostly to small restauranteurs and such like wanting to cushion their businesses against foreseen price increases. At retail, no problems, so far.
Still, I am stocking our freezer with beef, since so many beef producers are sending their stock early to slaughter, because of feed price increases–largely the result of turning corn into ethanol in larger amounts. WTG: burning food. Smart move. (Of course, my fav beef source doesn’t use any feed beyond grazing, so it probably won’t have as great an impact on that source. 100% range fed Scottish Highland (longhair) Beef: good stuff, maynard.)
I need my beef grained out. Better stuff, maynard. 🙂
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Flight 93 Blogburst 4.23.08…
Angry over the Islamic symbolism contained in the Flight 93 Memorial Design, which appears to honor both the heroes and the terrorists, a group of concerned citizens asked Harry Beam (Lt. Col. U.S. Army Retired) to lead an organized effort to have th…..
Hmm…I read David’s comment after reading your post, and you both make perfect sense. Of course, we’ve been doing this too, but not to the extent we should. We do not have the room. I WANT TO BUY HOUSE! Thanks a heap, bush. Grrrrr. He’s keeping those daggone prices all the way up there…grrrrrrr. Oh, did I get off topic? What else is new? 😉
RD, you’ve obviously never had range fed Scottish Highland beef. Very much the better stuff, maynard. 😉
You’re right, I cant make a comparison without all the facts.
Many of the old breeds of cattle as well as old breeds of sheep, hogs, chickens, etc. were developed for their yummy taste as well as the ability to thrive on locally available forage. The large sheep breeds cannot survive under the conditions that my (very tasty) Tunis thrive on. They (Tunis) have nice fleeces, too.