Are we having food issues here in the U.S., or is this just a temporary thing? The other day, a client and subscriber sent me a link to an alarming online posting about canned food disappearing from grocery shelves across the nation. In all my writings, I try to avoid inciting panic, but this one caught my eye.
I even went to my local grocer and sure enough, several sections of our canned goods shelves were empty! Gone. They weren’t so significant as to stand out if you were simply passing down the isle, but when I went back a few days later, even more sections were empty.
As it turns out, this sort of thing is happening all over the U.S. as evidenced by all manner of online posts. Just google “canned good shortages” and see what you find. So I contacted another client that works for a very large national food supplier. He said much of this is resulting from recent floods in the midwest and that in years past, farmers in different sections of the country had the planting and harvesting times nailed down to the day. However, with our crazy weather patterns of late, its thrown things out of whack. So in one sense “yes” it is weather driven and probably a temporary inconvenience. But on the other hand, you can also say “yes” it is an indicator of things to come, about which you should be concerned.
I’m not running out to stockpile canned goods just yet (although I did pick up a few extra things since I was there.) But this is just one more bit of evidence that highlights how dependent we are on agricultural areas located hundreds to thousands of miles from our refrigerators. Think about it. If growers in California are swamped with rain or suffer drought, or if truckers can’t ship it, how long would the food on the shelves in your grocery store remain? We live in a “just in time delivery” society, therefore, any signifcant disruption of the distribution chain has an almost immediate effect on those of us hundreds of miles from the problem.
Therefore, take these small signs as a reminder that its smart to be prepared for the unexpected. Here at Retreat Realty, we specialize in the business of helping folks be prepared by acquiring the right kind of real estate that can provide sustainable resources for their families. We are the ONLY agency in all of western North Carolina with this specialty, so call us today to find out how we can help you be prepared. In the meantime, don’t forget to have a manual can opener! Fancy electric ones don’t work when the power’s down.
