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Old 07-22-2015, 10:19 AM
 
Location: northern Alabama
1,066 posts, read 1,264,689 times
Reputation: 2870

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I remember after Katrina there was talk about FEMA considering confiscating supplies from local farmers and warehouses (such as Wal-Mart) if food supplies ran out. Didn't happen and I kinda wrote it off as just a rumor. Read this today:


Venezuelan farmers ordered to hand over produce to state - Telegraph

Hope both the inflation and the aftereffect doesn't happen here! Neither the black horse and it's rider nor the other three riders are something I would want to see in my lifetime.

I don't remember famine in the U.S., although in 1970, we had a brush with it when the Southern Corn Leaf Blight began spreading thru the US. Vietnam was going on and it didn't initially get the attention it deserved. We came up with resistant strains before famine set in.

I do worry that, with some of our genetic splicing, we would end up with unintended consequences - food stocks that are vulnerable.

Would our government feel compelled to take whatever steps it deemed necessary to 'take care of us'. Could we control our borders in the event of a North American famine? Do we even have enough food supplies stored to feed our nation until the next harvest?

I think we have been incredibly lucky here in the United States. I hope it continues as long as I live!
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Old 07-23-2015, 06:56 AM
 
Location: Backwoods of Maine
7,487 posts, read 10,459,924 times
Reputation: 21460
Quote:
Originally Posted by Countrysue View Post
Do we even have enough food supplies stored to feed our nation until the next harvest?
This is the Big Question.

Until recently, the US had 3 years of grains stored; now we have virtually none. California produce is threatened by severe drought. In the past year, we have experienced shortages and price spikes in pork, due to piglet deaths from a diarrheal disease, plus a price spike and shortage of eggs due to avaian flu. Add to that, the 'just-in-time' grocery deliveries to supermarkets, which have only about 3 days worth of food on hand.

The system has remained quite resilient, but I wonder how long that would last in the event of really severe emergency or spreading drought? In 2012 there was an Executive Order signed that enabled the gov't to take control of all food stocks, agricultural land and equipment (as well as other, non-food supplies).

I hope I don't live to see it, either!
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Old 07-23-2015, 07:11 AM
 
Location: rural south west UK
5,378 posts, read 3,569,710 times
Reputation: 6540
I know in the UK if an emergency happened we wouldn't be able to feed everyone without all those lovely containers of imported food!! last estimate was that we could only feed about 25% of the current population. there are no emergency "stockpiles" of food in the UK-just whats in the stores, the distribution centres or the delivery trucks-that it. why do you think i'm "prepping"??
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Old 07-23-2015, 07:27 AM
 
2,878 posts, read 4,621,782 times
Reputation: 3113
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigpaul View Post
I know in the UK if an emergency happened we wouldn't be able to feed everyone without all those lovely containers of imported food!! last estimate was that we could only feed about 25% of the current population. there are no emergency "stockpiles" of food in the UK-just whats in the stores, the distribution centres or the delivery trucks-that it. why do you think i'm "prepping"??
What exactly are you prepping for? A local, short-term event or a global food shortage?
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Old 07-23-2015, 08:23 AM
 
Location: rural south west UK
5,378 posts, read 3,569,710 times
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I have already survived both local and short term events. i'm prepping for all eventualities including a long term/life changing collapse event. and i'm not the only one in the UK who is.
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Old 07-23-2015, 10:39 AM
 
23,563 posts, read 70,158,065 times
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The U.K. has been vulnerable for ages. The BBC show "Wartime Garden" showed just HOW vulnerable it was during WWII. What was concerning is that instead of the resilience of older farming practices growing throughout the war, things got worse.
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Old 07-23-2015, 10:47 AM
 
Location: rural south west UK
5,378 posts, read 3,569,710 times
Reputation: 6540
Quote:
Originally Posted by harry chickpea View Post
The U.K. has been vulnerable for ages. The BBC show "Wartime Garden" showed just HOW vulnerable it was during WWII. What was concerning is that instead of the resilience of older farming practices growing throughout the war, things got worse.
yep "monocropping" has taken over on the larger farms. farming has become a business not an occupation.about 40% of all our food is now imported from the other side of the world.
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Old 07-23-2015, 11:09 AM
 
Location: Milwaukee, WI
3,368 posts, read 2,867,657 times
Reputation: 2967
I bet if US government would feel compelled to confiscate anything, it will do so. Precedents happened in the past, when it confiscated gold from all citizens, or after Katrina when they were confiscating guns.

One should hide everything he doesn't want to share. And never advertise possession of it.
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Old 07-23-2015, 02:55 PM
 
Location: Cape Cod
24,324 posts, read 17,065,160 times
Reputation: 35594
Quote:
Originally Posted by brrabbit View Post
I bet if US government would feel compelled to confiscate anything, it will do so. Precedents happened in the past, when it confiscated gold from all citizens, or after Katrina when they were confiscating guns.

One should hide everything he doesn't want to share. And never advertise possession of it.

I feel the current administration is all about taking from the haves to give to the have nots. It could get crazy if there were not any built in checks to stop it never mind if a terrible calamity struck.

If the electricity was turned off for more than a few days there would be panic in the street. It would be downright ugly if the food ran out.
Those who have any amount of food would have to protect it with deadly force.
I hope it never comes to that.
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Old 07-23-2015, 02:56 PM
 
Location: Forests of Maine
37,328 posts, read 61,154,439 times
Reputation: 30256
It might be smart to start growing all of your own food.
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