A Close-Up Look at The 2012 Drought

Let’s take a look at what’s really going on with this growing season, the drought, and the extremely high temperatures. I posted a comment on Facebook the other day about drought conditions and some smart-aleck said “So? We lived through them before, we’ll live through them again.”  I do not want anyone to panic,--this is a panic-free zone, remember, but for this lady to make such a flippant comment concerns me for a couple of reasons…where there’s one there are many who also have this laissez faire attitude and that’s dangerous—very dangerous—because this drought is most assuredly not like anything we’ve EVER lived through and today I’m going to tell you why.

 

This past week I was attending a medical preparedness oriented education event and I took pages and pages of notes. However, one speaker caught me particularly off-guard. He works for a university in Kansas. Part of what they do is evaluate the farm production all over the U.S. (with drones, if you can believe that!). I can’t believe how sophisticated the equipment is that they have nowadays. Just by taking some scans from some satellites they can tell you how healthy the crops are, what kind of nutritional content they contain and the level of moisture. Apparently the USDA and other official initialed entities rely on this university for appropriate crop prediction numbers. Well the bad news is, these scans are telling a gloomy story.

 

This professor, Dr. Price, taught us was that a drought doesn’t just affect the amount of food that’s harvested but it also

Johnson Grass

dramatically affects the quality or even safety of the food as it’s harvested. For example, Johnson Grass which is related to the sorghum and corn family, is a common grass that cattle graze on. Most times it’s just outside the fence. The cattle poke their head through and munch away. Unfortunately though, in a drought situation, the grass turns deadly to the cattle! This is because it will accumulate nitrates when it gets dry and the nitrates accumulate in the leaves where it then becomes deadly when exposed to high heats. (Anybody disagree with me that it’s been horribly HOT this year?) Bottom line, when plants go through a dramatically low water situation it drastically changes the chemical compound of the plants and thus alters their nutritional benefits—just as it would if our bodies were significantly lacking in H2O!

 

Impact of Dust Bowl

So here we are, in the midst of a horrible drought situation coupled with intense heat. We’re not just concerned about the amount of food that we’ll harvest, but we should also be watchful of the quality of food that we harvest as it makes its way into our homes. This is VERY serious as over 50% of the U.S.  has officially been declared to be in a state of severe drought—we’re talking equal to the Dust Bowl crisis. 2012 is officially noted in history as being in the same category as some of the worst droughts in our nation’s history—officially the 6th worst on record with the midwest conditions threatening to give it an even greater historical distinction  submitted by the very same Dr. Price who spoke at our education event, it shows that the vegetation problems are most intense in our “bread basket” of the U.S.—i.e. where the majority of our food supplies are grown. Oh, and in case you didn’t know, we get

 

Unfortunately, this is not a complete picture of the challenges associated with a drought.

Low moisture also makes it very challenging in creating sufficient seeds to save, making them less viable, and even rendering them impotent.

Food conglomerates (essentially one big “union”) cause the prices on our food to rise even faster than they might otherwise because so much influence is spread amongst so few. Did you know that four grocery chains supply 50% of all of the nation’s groceries?  Only two companies (Tyson and JBS) have control over the majority of all of the pork (57% of all pork, actually), beef (70% of all beef), and 40% of all of the chicken production in the U.S. When it comes to packaged foods, PepsiCo, Dole, General Mills, Nestle, and Kraft are the few big stuffed shirts which determine food prices.  With the power and influence controlled by so few, how drastically do you think this drought will impact our food prices?  A lot, because there’s no one for them to compete against much.

A white paper I was reading recently showed Mexico as importing 80%+ of our vegetable produce. Now look at the map and see how Mexico is faring with this drought and intense heat. Needless to say this means even higher markups on our fresh foods as well. How about California? It provides over half or our fruit and nut harvests. Look at how they are faring on the Vegetation Condition map! In previous years over 48% of our corn crops went directly to the fuel industry along with another 10% going towards other corn products (some of which you’d never dream were influenced by the corn market). So in a drought condition like this, what little will there be left for our actual food needs?

Mexico is our biggest supplier of vegetables, only sharing a 2 to 1 portion of the lime light with Canada, though China does take a distant third (in dollar values, not pounds) In the fruit category, most of it comes from Central and South America, with only China (4th) to break up the Top 6 of Mexico, Chile, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Ecuador. Hmmm…have you had a chance to see if there’s a drought problem in those countries too?  Yup, there are.

Did you know that nearly three fourths of our meat supplies come from the worst hit drought stricken areas?? Ouch! And we thought the high price of corn was going to kick  beef prices sky high? Imagine what will happen when they can’t get ANY food for their cattle.

 

Here’s another conundrum…Are other nations relying on us to send food to them? Yes. In fact, as a result of their own crisis with Mother Nature and financial collapses, they are relying on us to send MORE than ever before. Will the food prices we charge them be significantly higher due to the drought conditions we are experiencing? Yes. Are any of these countries already struggling greatly with their own financial challenges? Unfortunately, yes. So how well do you think that these nations will be able to handle the drastic food price increases? Do you recall the food riots which occurred in 2007 and 2008 in foreign nations when the prices of rice, corn and wheat spiked 100% or more? There were food riots in more than 24 nations including Bangladesh, Cameroon, Egypt, Jordan, Sudan, Haiti, Indonesia, Senegal, North Africa, Yemen and Haiti where the rioting became so violent and public confidence in the government’s ability to address the problem dropped so fast that that the Haitian Senate voted to remove the country’s prime minister, Jacques-Édouard Alexis from office. Other nations had angry protestors which ended up dead as they clashed with police. (Where do hungry people get their energy to protest? I haven’t figured that out yet.) Russia still has not fully recovered from their intense drought in 2010. The flooding of Australia’s crop has them asking for wheat to be imported all of which spikes the demand for a product which also affects pricing. It’s no wonder why the author of "Tropic of Chaos", Christian Parenti, said “The initial trouble was traceable, at least in part, to the price of that loaf of bread.” (Just so you know, this isn't an endorsement of his book which is full of "global warming" gobblety gook.)

 

Closer to home, with a real unemployment number of 22.5%, can Americans handle a 20-30% price increase on their foods? Oh, where did I get the number of 20-30%? From my own experiences in the grocery stores and from hundreds of other fans who have shared with me their actual experiences. (So please don’t buy into this garbage line of “5% increase” in groceries being circulated among the Lame Stream Media.)  Keep in mind that higher spending on food staples means significantly less spending on other items which will increase the unemployment and financial economic strain on this nation.

 

And then there’s more…China and Japan own the largest portion of our foreign debt; as a result, they have significant leverage in laying claim to the food that they need. China has had its own food crisis over the past two years so you can bet that their need will not DECREASE this year in light of the crop conditions they’ve had so far, and Japan is in the enviable position of being 2nd in line for demanding we sell crops to them. Japan is struggling with tainted food sources as a result of the nuclear plant compromise it suffered this past year. They have stated that they will import MORE food this year than ever before as a result. The only problem? Um, we don’t have as much food to sell you as we have in years previously. (Are you starting to get the picture as to why wealth makes very little difference when it comes to food?) If we keep honoring the demands from foreign nations and our own insistence at using food for fuel, then we run a very real risk of having just as bad of a scenario next year according to historical drought weather patterns.  

 

So if you were to look at history, what do you think is a common companion to escalating food prices, let alone when they are combined with stark unemployment numbers? The answer is social unrest and violent conflict. (By the way, The Depression unemployment was only a couple of percentage points above where we are presently and that was with a much better GDP and lower inflation.)

 

Have you heard the saying that “we’re only 9 meals away from anarchy”? Well, that’s exactly what is starting to crop up all over the nation. Poverty stricken youth are swelling up with anger and desperation, willing to get gain for what they need at all costs. Otherwise ordinary citizens are starting to compromise on the moral boundaries which they’ve set for themselves in the past, but those boundaries are becoming more and more narrow and blurred. Let’s not forget that we’ve already got escalating numbers of Americans living at the poverty level. What’s an additional 20-30% food cost going to do to them? Send them on the street?

 

Foreign Debt Holders 2012

The ripple effect of a drought is unimaginable to most. They look at it as something that is simply happening out there and which they will be unaffected by, but they have never been more wrong than they are now. Drought leads to food inadequate food supplies; it also leads to dry land everywhere which leads to wildfires which lead to extensive depletion of an already struggling water supply. The crops that are growing are still suffering from the onslaught of insects whose populations were not properly “thinned out” as a result of mild winter weathers. Water supplies weren’t replenished as a result of this same mild winter and given a one-two punch with a rather dry spring in many areas and too much water in others causing flooding and late planting. The intense heat adds to the drought problem by bursting key parts of our nation’s infrastructure at a time when municipalities are struggling to keep their lights on, let alone face multi-million dollar fixes to their water delivery infrastructure that was built during the early 1900’s!  Oh, and lets not forget that our nation no longer has any substantial wheat reserves because we already sold it all!

 

Clearly, we’re not talking about a little hiccup in our crops this year. If we’re listening, we’ll understand that the so-called hiccup is actually an obnoxious sounding alarm trying to save us from unthinkable consequences within our homes. So sure, we’ve had droughts before, but she certainly was nothing like this!

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Comments

We bought half a cow last summer and even WITH the cost of the freezer we had to buy to put it all in, it was WORTH it! Grass fed, cruelty free... such a relief!

By the way, click on the water icon in the carousel-ing 10 Principles of Preparedness up above and you'll find the articles on Water Preparedness.

I'll bet 90% of the problem is the co-dependent relationship of the big agro/petro/pharma businesses and the huge mono-culture/factory farms (miles and miles of nothing but corn, thousands of animals up to their knees in manure in feedlots). Small, mixed farms, farmgate sales and growing as much of your own food as you can makes a big difference. I'm doing everything I can not to be dependent on Tyson, Safeway, Kraft, etc. I recently read that this will be the first generation that doesn't know how to feed itself, that doesn't know where food actually comes from. If we get through the next six months without the SHTF, read up on gardening this winter and prepare to gardent (and raise chickens at the very least) next spring.

Agree 110%

Well, you've got to do what you've got to do. You're correct, I'm not a scientist which is why all of the global warming stuff seems to be gobblety-gook to me--which is exactly why I called it that and since I have over a quarter million regular followers, I need to be very clear on what I am or am not "endorsing".

"He who takes offense when none is intended is a fool, he who takes offense when offense is intended is a bigger fool." --Confucious

As my 10 year niece would say"you rock", and especially on the subject of global warming.

I've been following you closely since seeing you on NatGeo, and I've had great admiration thus far. I hope I don't have to stop following you due what appears to me to be a very sudden up-tick in political commentary peppered into more recent blogs. "Global warming gobblety gook"? Please. You're not a scientist. Stick to what you know or you're going to marginalize yourself. Just some friendly advice.

There are a few major differences from the dust bowl days and today's drought.More than 50% of the corn and soybean fields in our area are irrigated.

Say what you will about gmo's. they have made a corn crop that in the 20's and 30's produced 40 to 60 bushels per acre to 200 to 260 today. I am all for genetics as long as they are just using plant genes and not jellyfish or baboon. Gmo's have helped us feed the world.

Our farmers that have irrigated here in SW Michigan are going to have a bumper crop this year.Farm futures this year are at 135 acre ave. this year even with the drought. Still above the highs what we produced as little as 40 years ago. Farmers Planted a HUGE corn crop this year and beans were way up also and were less affected by the drought. Bean prices have already started to fall off the Nov. highs. I believe if we can get them to ease the mandate on using 40% of our corn crop on ethanol we should be fine.

I wasn't going to respond until I read your response. This is the thing that I can't seem to make people understand--corn is not the only crop impacted by this drought. Wheat and soy are huge crops in the hardest hit areas of our country. And closer (to my) home, peanut crops are doing poorly in Alabama and Georgia, because that area of the state is under exceptional drought. (and cotton, but no one seems to be discussing that Alabama cotton is under drought pressure.)

Also, dried beans are grown in Texas and much of Texas is under some level of drought.

Many, many crops are impacted by this drought.

In the problems of 2008, the main crop impacted was rice. This time the impact is going to be MUCH wider spread. Meat, chicken, pork, but suppose you want to get cheaper alternatives like beans, well that too. Many meatless options have soy in them and soy is under the drought area.

I don't call myself a prepper, but I do believe in having a supply of goods on hand to take care of you and your family. The drought has had me concerned all summer. I've even noticed my garden struggling with a few items. I believe whole heartily to stock up on items your family would use everyday, whether it's food or other items. I have a spare bedroom now, and I'm turning that into a second storage room just for this purpose. I've been canning more this year, and in a couple of weeks I'll try my hand at canning meat. I've order 1/2 a cow from a local man who raised 3 beef cows on his property. It wasn't the cheapest meat, but I know where it came from and what it ate. I've heard lots of reports that 2013 will be the year we will most definitely notice the rise in food costs. I think water storage should be a concern also. I am lacking in this department, it's a bit overwhelming sometimes when you think about storing enough to sustain your family for a year or two, but I work on it daily.

Those topics are well covered on this blog. Just use the search bar and look for "canning butter", "canning meats", "canning bacon" and you can also find articles on "waxing cheese" but that requires more detailed instructions in which case I have created an instructional book in the "Prep Pro Classes" tab that you can snag.

Good luck!

I'm glad to see so many are storing up nutrient dense food. Good chance all that corn and soy burning up out there is GMO and filing our food supply with too many over processed foods that are causing so many health problems today. Not that starving is an option... Let's be sure to put some good fats like virgin coconut oil (easy to store) and home canned/dried nutrient dense meats and other foods in our food supply. And with all our preparing let's not forget spiritual and emotional preparedness. We should be preparing to share our food... maybe that will be the real test of our humanity and spirituality. I see there is a section on that in this blog (have not read it yet) I hope we remember charity and the miracles of Jesus Christ and go forward with faith while we do all we can to prepare.

You have it correct on the pigs, but I did raise beef cattle before the cost of hay stopped us from raising it for the brother and sisters. I would not eat a dairy cow, or a cow that had been used for breeding, the meat has a milky taste which can never be gotten rid of. If you want good quality beef either buy a young bull that has to be steered or a heifer that has not had a calf. Try to purchase one that is at least 1 1/2 years or up to 3years, but do not go beyond that or you are just purchasing it for dog food.
Watch your butchers, ask around before you have someone cut up the meat for you. I used a butcher that I had no choice in the matter since we donated the beef for a raffle and I know the meat that we got back was not from what I raised. The beef we raised was prime meat and I swear this was dairy beef, no way of proving it, so I will go back to a butcher who I can completely trust and I recommend that to anyone who is wanting to purchase a beef and have it cut up---get references before you select anyone. Remember you "pay for what you get". Caution is the best advice I can give.

I can my own. It's much healthier and then I'm not risking the crap from China etc. that has already killed one of my favorite animals.

One little helpful hint (albeit a bit disgusting to think about)...if you have a septic tank (and you use it regularly!) pump 'water' out of it for irrigation purposes. You can't pump it dry (it won't work properly) but a few gallons of really nutrient dense water is better than none at all (if used judiciously). Every little bit helps!

I completely understand your feelings and views about the GMO's they have produced recently .Maybe you do not understand that gmo corn beans or anything (genetically modified organism) CAN be no different than what mother nature does when bee's (or wind in corn's case) cross pollinate a plant. Rose producers and fruit farmers have been doing this for centuries to get the huge diversity and productivity that has given us honey-crisp or Jonagold apples or hybrid tea and floribunda roses in a rainbow of colors that we enjoy.

The difference in gmo from natural genetic manipulation is instead of crossing pollen(genes) between two plants, they take the genes directly from cells of one corn plant and put them in another, being able to target the actual genes, therefore traits they want instead of using the pollen which is more of a guessing game and less precise.

Just remember, when corn was grown by Indians back in the beginning, the plants were almost grass like and were 3 feet tall and with tiny ears produced so little that they would not even be classified as corn as we know it today. Farmers have been (genetically modifying) it ever since albeit, without geneticists and labs

GMO in it of itself is not bad and is just a tool and no different than selecting pollen from one plant to pollinate another plant., but I am totally against taking genes from some other animal or plant and splicing them into corn or soybean plants. And dont get me started on this roundup ready crap they are pushing. That is where they cross the line.And I think we both agree any of those modifications have been detrimental for animals,bees and us alike.

When they think they can play god with genes that would never be crossed in nature and without knowing or caring about any of the consequences that these combinations are causing is where I have a problem.

As for improving the drought tolerance or yield capacity within the corn's dna itself I am all for it.

I want to start by saying I find your articles informative, simple and easy to understand and not panic-filled. Along with the drought I have seen TV pieces on how China is taking large amounts of fresh water from the Great Lakes. If China can take this water back across half the world, then why isn't our government gathering water to help the drought affected area? Oh wait...that's right our government is too busy stealing our rights and trying to get legal sanction to indefinitely detain/shoot us.

I have read/watched documentaries that say WWIII will be fought over resources. With each passing day this prediction seems more and more likely. When the majority realize there is a food shortage and then wants to learn about growing their own food it will be too late. The government(s) will have control of these resources and will put their own plans in action.

The American infer-structure of public works (roads, sewers, bridges,etc...), social structure and the economy are all in bad shape. Unless the government gets off its' backside to help the people not with handouts but helping us to help ourselves, I fear for the world my grown children and their children will inherit. The only thing we can do not is prepare the best we can, pass the word and hope there are enough people to pick up the pieces and go back to our freedoms' birth to try again.

What we all need to remember is that with God all things are possible.

I love that you are so informed, informative, and REAL. I feel very fortunate to have found your blog.

Kellene, I remember last year and we talked about the poor crop and we were both called every unpleasant name in the book after saying The USA Grain reserves were dangerously low last year.
Buy your stuff now and have a few dollars to buy meat as it drops from farmers putting all meat critters on sale as they can't afford to feed. Get cheese and wax it, butter and can it , as dairy herds will take a beating. 2013 is going to be ugly for food inflation.
Those 17.5 Million MRE's the DHS ordered are not for you citizen or the other 310 million Americans.
I thank God that I found you and I did stored up and I'm living cheap. Most of my staples were bought before inflation and short supply hit.and I only buy sale items.
Kellene I'm getting my Idaho CCW and I found a nice little 9mm for concealed carry. I don't have 1000 rounds per weapon but I do have 300+ rounds for each and over 1000 rounds for a 22 lr. added a reloader and if we get enough time I'll be adding a little bullet casting setup. I'm getting there....
I've shown several folks how to use DE for insect control and my sister is turning a spare bedroom into a food pantry. Not a bad week overall, thanks to your knowledge.

DE for insect control - what is this?
My first time on this site.

where did the information come about the mre's being hoarded by DHS? Where can I find the information on Using DE? Keep up the great work, Kellene? When do you move? Telling where, yet?

Google the DHS purchasing MREs (freeze-dried food, actually). Put "diatomaceous earth" in the search bar with the quotation marks and if you look at the comment that you actually replied to you'll see a link to one of the DE articles.
Still keeping things mostly mum about the move for now.

I agree! After reading your blog I feel I have more knowledge of what is really going on this world then watching the news.You give true facts and have the information to back up what you say. Plus I'm getting ready for any emergency that might come our way!! Thank you Kellene! Keep doing what your doing!

Thanks Kellene. I'll be sharing this with my family and friends. Hopefully they'll act prudently, and quickly.

What I find amazing is that so many Americans refuse to THINK about the true effects of this drought and PREPARE now for higher food prices.....though I must say that the prices are already climbing. Right now I am canning meats and stocking up on food for my farm animals. I'll also be planting corn to supplement my chickens with this fall (I live in Florida). I believe most people "don't want to know" the truth because then they become "responsible" for what they do with that knowledge. Me? I prefer to know the truth, put on my big girl pants, and get ready!

I have a small family farm in NW Arkansas. Our county has been hit the hardest in the state. My field and back yard look something like the desert. The only green spot on my 5 acres is where the septic sytem lines are. Grain prices are going up .25cents a week, 1 month ago it was $8.80 a bag and last week it was up to $10.05. My garden totally failed because of no rain and I can not water because if I do the well runs out of water after about 40 minutes. The grasshoppers and locusts are of biblical proportions. They ate a 30 ft long row of green beans down to sticks over night just when they were starting to produce.. Needless to say the 5 quarts of green beans I put up won't last my family of 5 for a year. The bugs stripped cabbages to the core and brussel sprouts down to the stem. I got 4 ears of corn out of 6-- 65ft rows The only thing that did well was my onions and potatoes. It got too hot, too dry, too fast... The farms around me grow for the canning companies and none of the soybeans, corn, wheat or green beans did anything. Nobody has hay for their beasties and I am having to pay $17 a bale for small square bales that are being shipped from out of state. Normally we would get 3 cuttings of hay from our pastures and this year we were lucky to get 1... While they say 5% increase well just for example look at McDonalds. Their $1 McDouble is now $1.19 now when I went to school that was a 19% increase and it happened overnight. Not a nickel at a time. You could get hamburger on sale for $2 a pound and now you are lucky to get it on sale for $3 a pound. That is a 50% increase. NOBODY is going to tell me it is just a little drought!!!

Your lucky on the hay price, we have been paying up to 21.00 for the small bales for the last year or so.

Thanks much Kellene for sharing the information; I will be sharing it with other preppers I know. While many people have there heads 'buried in the sand', it's good to know that some of us are preparing for what's coming! My husband and I have been taking steps to handle these conditions. We just ordered a large supply of feed for our chickens that should cover us for one year and I have 'stashed' away my non-GM, non-hybrid seeds for future gardening, as well as, having a very good garden this year (my kitchen is in 'canning mode' right now). We also invested in a cistern and do water gathering from our property. The prepping is always ongoing! Thanks again!

Thank you so much for this thought provoking article. All that will grow for me this summer are plants in containers. My patio is filled with tubs growing tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, herbs, peppers, blueberries and onions. I water them from one rain barrel and very expensive city water from the garden hose. The heat has been brutal and we are lucky to get rain once every other week. I don't have enough produce for much canning but just eating and some freezing. I am haunting the road side stands and farmer's markets to get enough produce for pickles, jams and vegetables. The farmer's are having a very hard time and just shake their heads and say how bad it is. The bottom line is that we need to take this very seriously. I plan to put up another rain barrel and we are working on getting an old well to function. Please people, don't wait until the store shelves are getting bare and what little they have is too high to afford! I'm storing and stacking away as quickly as I can. I'm afraid that scary times are ahead.

If any of us survive all this, it is because of YOU Kellene! There is a lot more going on than people realize.... example: all the 'sudden' overpayment by the SSA (without any proof of any overpayment!) who are now demanding "their" money back. We will survive but many will be totally homeless soon.

The sad reality is that with the exception of a handful of people, nobody acknowledges you or any other type warning until they take their little entitled a-- to the grocery store only to find the shelves are empty. Then they cry out and say "woe is me".
But a few of us do listen. So, girl, you just keep on putting the info out!

Hi, Killene.....I wanted to know if you or anyone you know of is offering classes on food storage or preparedness in the Salt Lake City are between Aug 26 and Aug 31. I am visiting some dear friends in Perry, Utah that week. I have been checking Honeyville for classes but have not seen anything. Thoroughly enjoyed the Women's Rape Prevention Class that you gave in Colorado Springs. I was able to show the moves to my daughters and granddaughters. Now I'd like to take some classes in Krav Maga. Ha Ha......I know you must be very busy trying to get ready to move. Good luck with that. Can't wait to see your blogs from your farm. Looking forward to your cook books!!!!! I am getting ready to read your article on The Drought. The drought looks pretty bad and I am sure it will affect all of us. Best of luck to you and your husband in your future endeavors....Sandy T, in New York

Sorry, Sandy, I'm unaware of anything... I'd call Honeyville in SLC directly.

I was just telling some friends and family the exact same thing and if food prices rise dramatically and food bcomes scarce for other countries which have become dependent on us - not only riots would occur but wars. We need to prepare for this one. We need to stand together.

I watch drought trends very closely. I spoke about this on my own blog some weeks ago and advised my own family and friends last March that this was going to be a humdinger and to stock up now. I advise not only the meat/grain stocking but also the by product ie anything that has these products in the way of corn syrup, soy milks, formulas, pet foods etc. I think we are good to go for at least 2 growing seasons in the odd ball stuff for sure. I think we all should be prudent in watching weather patterns over all. Those corporation farms have contracts they have to fullfill therefore the food produced by them will still go to other countries not be used here as we expect. Remember Katrina and be aware that just like then, we will be in this shortage and price hike by ourselves, the government will not be our friend and rescue us. If you don't have food now, you won't have it later.

Keep in mind the things we don't typically think of as needing corn...fish, diapers, etc. These products all use corn for their preservation and manufacturing.

You've brought up plenty I've never considered with regards to our current water crisis. Thank you for the time and effort you've put into this discussion.

Excellent article Kellene - and very informative.....it will be going to everyone I know.

Here in North Texas, we have had a cooler summer than we did last year when we set all of those heat records, and we have had more rain this year than last.....but we are in a drought situation nonetheless.

Another thing is the amount of fires that the USA is experiencing - these also destroy crops and grazing fields.

Yes, we are in for some tough times ahead - thank you for doing all that you do!

Kellene I've been busy preparing as fast as my budget will allow. I've now got 120 lbs of corn meal packaged into Foodsaver bags frozen in the freezer. I've purchased extra corn oil and 12 bags of Costco sized frozen organic corn. Boy what I look I got when I checked out at Costco. People thought I had a corn fetish. Kroger just had Green Giant canned vegetables on sale 3/$1 and I purchased four cases of canned corn. (I already had a case and a half of cream style corn on the shelf.) I still need to buy more AP and bread flour, and bulk popcorn. Then I'll be able to take a deep breath but I'm trying to stay ahead of the crowds and rising prices. Keep warning people it's going to be bad next year.

But it isn't just about stocking up on corn and corn products for your pantry.....It is going to affect EVERYTHING. Almost everything you see in the store somehow involves corn. Corn is a major ingredient somehow in almost everything we eat. Corn is the mainstay of almost ALL livestock feed. Corn is used for fuel. And corn is only ONE crop that is being decimated due to the drought. Soy is also affected, as is Wheat, Oats, and virtually every other food crop you can think of. From Cucumbers to tomatoes. Then we cannot forget the damage done to the fruit and berry crops with the April freeze....following a warmer than normal winter and early spring. which also affected the Maple syrup production. Corn is just one drop in the bucket. You cannot find anything in the supermarket that somehow isn't going to be impacted by the drought.

I have recently pulled my head out of the sand and taken a look......I remain positive as I remember the scripture...Second Chronicles 7:14
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
I also stayed informed and ready, because "God Hears Your prayers and the cry of your heart".....
As I stand back with a BOB bag in every place necessary, and seeds that will actually plant and be able to be reseeded.....I thank God for women of faith, like you, who speak to women of faith...like me. Even Johnathon needed a David...like YOU!!!

Thanks Kellene, for this warning & reminder. We do have to remember that it's not just corn that's affected, it's also soybeans and other grains and vegetables AND it grows exponentially to all the things that rely on these things. Of course, it's food for humans, cattle and pigs, but also for farmed fish, sheep (for wool and meat), as well as cooking oils, on our dinner plates and plastics. Don't forget that up to 40% of the corn crop is designated for ethanol production, though some of the farmers are fighting that. Soybeans are used for milk-substitute baby formula, livestock feed, newspaper ink, cooking oil, lubricants, and more. It trickles up to us from many angles!

Here in the AZ desert, we're about 6 years into a 20-year drought already. Water storage is a big concern for us. We've got some solutions, but we're still short of what I think would be ideal.

My DH and I have decided it makes more sense to have water and long term storage, rather than trying to grow a garden. However. I will admit that the past couple of weeks "babysitting" my grandson's garden as his family moves, has sparked my interest in at least growing an indoor herb garden. :-)

Thank you again for keeping us posted! This is definitely information we won't get from the mainstream media or from the government - until it's too late..

Awesome article, Kellene. I'm forwarding this one to everyone I know!

Kellene, I need to know HOW to can butter, wax the cheese and can meat. do you have an archive where I can go to see how to do this? Also, I can buy canned butter from an emergency supply house...is canning my own (given the huge expenditure of time and energy) a better option? Thanks for your response.

I read in just the last few days that Russia is having problems with their wheat crop again, so they will have less to export.

Good article Kellene. We are preppers and doing everything we can to put away food and necessities. We have been watching this drought with mounting concern. It does have implications for all of us that we can't even imagine.

Here is a suggestion. I just found a "truck" farm in my area that doesnt use a bunch of chemicals to grow their foods & have been working with them to get "culls" these are fruits or vegtables that are less than perfect & cant be used in the store. Many farms throw throw them or will sell them cheaply> I got 2 banana boxes of japanese eggplant, 1 of cucumbers, 1 of yellow squash and 1 of zucchini. I bartered exchange of zucchini bread & boxes of cookies & snacks for the work crew,s that I pick up at my local dent & discontinued warehouse.
I ll be drying bunches for days & eating well for winter & well beyond!

Thank you for this article. To be forewarned is to be forearmed!

Kellene, thought provoking article again. I think it's worth passing on except I have to disagree with you when you say Global warming is gobbelty gook, yet in the next paragraph you describe what scientists say define it. Change in the expected weather patterns that have dire consiquences that follow globally. Would you consider the fact that multiple scientific so sources say this is happening, and not look at this as a political point of view, but with the sharp eyes of a Prepper who considers all the likely scenarios that could happen or is
happening? I think this is a lot more likely to affect us and future generations than
a scenario like a shift in the global axis or Yellowstone callers blowing up.

That being said, my opinion is we have been lucky in this country and now our
luck is running out, like the prom queen who gets fat and wrinkled. We are

what other countries have dealt with for a long time. So do we consider what

other people in other countries do? Would we consider that three meat meals a
day is excessive, and 16 ounces steaks are a thing of the past? And better for
our health if we don't eat that way. In 1971 France Moore Lappe' wrote a book about this called" Diet for a Small Planet". in which she spoke about using a large amount of resources for a small amountnof food production I.e. Meat, and spoke about changing our diet tom one with a lot less meat. Forty years ago, still makes since. (and I'm a carnivore).
Also another book to recommend, Timothy Egans book about the great dust bowl, which lasted TEN YEARS! My mother has told me of the big dust storms up in Minnesota that she remembered, and how terrible it was. Climate diasters are not that uncommon.
Yeah it's terrible what is happening this summer, but we also need to consider what we are willing to change to change how this turns out. Learning to grow and preserve our own food, refusing GMO products, raise our own meat, consider that scientists are concerned about all of us, they have families and pay the same prices at the store as everyone, and really struggle to do so. This I know for real.
But thank you for the article I think you got 99 percent of it spot on.

It's gobblety gook because it's not well explained out there, not the premise.

I am a prepper who kind of stop prepping about 6 months ago. This article has really gotten my attention. It is time for me to get back into action and buy some heirloom seeds, freeze dried food from Mountain House, MRE's, and other stuff. THANK YOU for the heads up. I was really starting to get complacent.

A great place to get great deals on meat is your local livestock auction! I can right now buy a 250 lb pig for $120!. butcher weight will be in the range of 67 to 75 percent of live weight. in meat It is not I repeat not hard to butcher out an animal! Get a picture of where the cuts are a few good knives and even a cicular saw and your good to go. With no experience you can get a pig cut wraped and in the freezer in a day! Ever had homemade sausage!!!!!!! Grind it up with some salt pepper and fresh sage and you have some of the best eating for very little money. You can also take the hams and bacon slabs in to be smoked if you want. You can do the same with a cow. A little more knowledge on what type of cow to buy [dairy culls are good for mostly hamburg and "beef cows" are for the good cuts and a little hamburg] Chickens rabbits all sell at livestock auctions. Go to one and educate yourself ! You can even make deals with the farmers and ranchers there to sell to you privatly if you want. Its a great way to get your meat stored up at a fraction of store cost. You could buy a freezer easily on what you will save. If your to squeamish to butcher yourself ask at the auction they will help you find a butcher . You dont save as much but you still save big!

Kellene, Nationalgeographic.com has a easily readable bit on Global Warming. Also there are other sources to explain it if you google it. Mostly just look around and compare what is happening. In 1968 I lived in Minnesota When they had 22 blizzards in one year and snow over the second story windows. Last few years no snow at all. Portland Or in 1920's had average of two feet of snow, now it's two inches if we get any at all.
I'm just asking people to consider that if they had no TV, Radio computer etc., and lived like our previous generations did by going outside, they say"Whoa what's happening?" and act on their ownnobservations.
Oh Timothy Egans book about the dustbowl is"The Worst Hard Times". I recommend it, also t"the big burn", the forest fire that changed America". Well worth reading.

Ah, and there's the other rub...finding resources on the topic that I trust. Nat. Geo is definitely NOT one of them...

I have read the books you've suggested and I enjoyed both of them a great deal.

As a former combat Marine, I would prefer to die in combat.........not starve to death! Viva La Revolution'

Just my humble opinion, but I think there is a bit more going on here. From what I can see, the majority of the foods that are being affected are also those that are the least healthy for us, yes, Meat is on that list too. Especially when most if not all of the food, is genetically modified and raised in cages and on cement pallets. It is deplorable, disgusting and while most people may disagree with me EVIL, which is the opposite of a LIVE. We are spiritual beings having a human experience. If we choose to live our lives at the highest and best, treating all as we would ourselves like to be treated, then we would not be in this mess. There is a saying I grew up with and never understood it, but now I am seeing it. "you don't mess with Mother Nature". Somewhere, someone's ego, decided they could do it better. I think what we are seeing is "Mother Nature" not being too happy with that someone messing with her master piece and no one else stepping up to make them stop. I see the planet/galaxy has a fever, there is something that is causing it to get sick (as above, so below). What could that pathogen be? GREED. We are responsible for this world, for this life. And we are not the only life form that matters on this planet. Nature abhors imbalance...as well as abhorring a vacuum. The vacuum is the Spiritual connection with life, and the imbalance is that we see ourselves as bigger, better and more important then the rest. Nature, seeking balance will adjust. And, truly it is just that simple. Pulling our hair out because someone isn't providing for us is not going to resolve it, planting our own gardens, community gardens, building from the local, this is what will resolve this.

Peace

I'm going to have to disagree with you on the assertion of what's healthy or not as there is a great deal of scriptural references that support that premise AND each person's body is very different. However, I wholeheartedly agree with you the antibiotics, GMO, hormone-induced foods are NOT good for us in any way. And I wholeheartedly agree with you that we are spiritual beings have a physical experience.

I have been working like crazy this summer to get my home in order but my husband thinks I'm crazy. I know I am not. The Lord says to watch for the signs in the heavens and the earth and I believe with all my heart and soul the time has come to pay attention! I know I cannot prep for the end of the earth but I can at least try to take of us for a bit and maybe help a few others. It seems my warnings to my family are falling on deaf ears as no one sees this. All I can do is pray for them. Thank you for all your advice and preparedness tips along the way. It helps to know I am not alone.

Yucca are not liked because of their will to survive and other reasons but their roots are eatable! and quite tasty. Plant plenty in your yard for hard times. they love the heat!

Gmo is not healthy---bottom line!!! Who cares if it produces more if it is all bad anyway. I recently read it caused rats that had been fed on it to be sterile within 3 yrs- explain that to our future parents---oh, wait, they may not be able to conceive----but hey, they can eat more bad grains!!! Where has all common
sense gone to? And this gmo crap is harmful to bees, linked to cancer, surperviruses, birth defects, lowered nutrition, soil sterilization, and seed extinction. And any crops within 5 miles will be contaminated by it.

I agree with Vickie. It's NOT "more" food because it's not FOOD! It's just like saying the Treasury prints more money...it's not money. It's a threat to the REAL money that's out there.

Don't forget to stock up on dog and cat food as well. This is really hard.

My cat has a special diet what can be done about that?

I searched for canning butter but it listed everything but. Is there a link?

Kellene,

I have a question for you. I have read that colostrum is good for adult humans in some cases of certain diseases. What about bovine origin colostrum that you can purchase at the feed store? Specifically, Colostrx Plux. Is that safe for human consumption? I have tried to research this, but have not been successful in getting a satisfactory answer. I thought maybe you would have more luck on this subject. If it was safe, it would be very economical & beneficial to have in our prepper supplies.

I'm sorry to disappoint you, Cheryl, but this is not an area that I know much about. You might have better luck asking the question on our Facebook page. The readers are a bit more "active" on there and there's a wide berth of knowledge.

You can make and can your own cat food. I do it for my dogs.

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