Why your cupboards might be empty soon.

The last time we spoke of the possiblity of the cupboards being empty soon. I just wanted you to know that I dug up some hard facts to go with my rants. US Grain Reserves Dangerously Low (AAM Concerned with CCC Inventories)
Tri-State Observer ^ Renfield

Posted on Wednesday, June 11 4:39:52 AM by
WASHINGTON - Larry Matlack, President of the American Agriculture Movement (AAM), has raised concerns over the issue of U.S. grain reserves after it was announced that the sale of 18.37 million bushels of wheat from USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust.
“According to the May 1, 2008 CCC inventory report there are o­nly 24.1 million bushels of wheat in inventory, so after this sale there will be o­nly 2.7 million bushels of wheat left the entire CCC inventory,” warned Matlack. “Our concern is not that we are using the remainder of our strategic grain reserves for humanitarian relief. AAM fully supports the action and all humanitarian food relief. Our concern is that the U.S. has nothing else in our
The CCC is a federal government-owned and operated entity that was created to stabilize, support, and protect farm income and prices. CCC is also supposed to maintain balanced and adequate supplies of agricultural commodities and aids in their orderly distribution.
“This lack of
AAM’s support for the FOR program, which allows the grain to be stored o­n farms, is a key component to a safe grain reserve in that the supplies will be decentralized in the event of some unforeseen calamity which might befall the large grain storage terminals.
A Strategic Energy Grain Reserve is as crucial for the nation’s domestic energy needs as the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. AAM also supports full funding for the replenishment and expansion of Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust
U.S. Has No Remaining Grain Reserves

Is the U.S. Running out of emergency grain reserves? Mark Frauenfelder at 1:17 PM June 10, 2008 CCC [USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation] inventory report there are only 24.1 million bushels of wheat in inventory, so after this sale there will be only 2.7 million bushels of wheat left the entire CCC inventory,” warned [Larry Matlack, President of the American Agriculture Movement (AAM)]. emergency food pantry. There is no cheese, no butter, no dry milk powder, no grains or anything else left in reserve. The only thing left in the entire CCC inventory will be 2.7 million bushels of wheat, which is about enough wheat to make 1/2 of a loaf of bread for each of the 300 million people in America. emergency food pantry. There is no cheese, no butter, no dry milk powder, no grains or anything else left in reserve. The o­nly thing left in the entire CCC inventory will be 2.7 million bushels of wheat which is about enough wheat to make ½ of a loaf of bread for each of the 300 million people in America.” emergency preparedness is the fault of the 1996 farm bill which eliminated the government’s grain reserves as well as the Farmer Owned Reserve (FOR),” explained Matlack. “We had hoped to reinstate the FOR and a Strategic Energy Grain Reserve in the new farm bill, but the politics of food defeated our efforts. As farmers it is our calling and purpose in life to feed our families, our communities, our nation and a good part of the world, but we need better planning and coordination if we are to meet that purpose. AAM pledges to continue our work for better farm policy which includes an FOR and a Strategic Energy Grain Reserve.” Do you still think that I am just ranting? Thanks for listening Steve.

“Our concern is not that we are using the remainder of our strategic grain reserves for humanitarian relief. AAM fully supports the action and all humanitarian food relief. Our concern is that the U.S. has nothing else in our

Will your cupboards be empty soon?

In America no one can possibly imagine a food shortage. Yet within the next year it is a good possibility. The reasons are many and the government doesn't want you to know this information. There have always been at least 5 nations that export wheat to the rest of the world. This year there is only  the United States and the normal wheat crop here was not what they had hoped it would be. Normally we would have a three year supply of wheat on hand but the reserves are all but gone. The normal stockpile of grains were sent to the rest of the nearly starving world. What ever would have been left after that was sold to China to help cover our ever growing debt to them. Can you imagine what the grocery stores would look like when there is not enough flour to go around. It is in almost everything that we eat. Or at least most of the store bought prepared foods anyway. I am not wanting everyone to hoard flour but you might want to buy a little extra just in case. Thanks for listening Steve

What do you do with yourself.

At 53 years old I find myself with no job. This will be the 3rd time I need to retrain to learn something else to do for a living. I was real bummed this time because I thought this last time I retrained the company was a small start up and maybe getting in on the ground floor I would do better. NOT SO but I am looking at this one as an opportunity. It will be a chance to change what I do not like about my life. A chance to make a difference to someone else,to think more of others and worry less about me. I am going to go back to school and finish the degree I never finished before. I t will not be anything fancy just an associates degree with an emphasis on business management. I believe I can help my wife to run her midwife/birth center business. Maybe it's time we started working as a team in more ways than in just our marriage. Watching each others back on overtime. Thanks for listening Steve

The circle of life.

I watched my grandchildren for a couple of hours this morning. While I was watching them I remembered what it was like to be a child. I remembered how I felt as a child needing someone to watch over me to protect me. Then I thought of growing up and being a teenager,I was almost grown but still needed advice once in awhile. Finally I grew up I found a mate and married. We had our own children which we watched grow up. They now have their own children which I hope to watch grow up. One day I will reach the point where I need someone to again watch over me as if I were a child again.So you see it is a circle this life of ours.Share it with others for the time we are given is short and it can not be redeemed. Thanks for listening Steve

Winter came roaring in.

Winter came roaring in on Saturday. I guess if you want to be picky winter won't be here until the 21st of December but we are not going to be picky. I love it when the seasons change it is just another way of reminding us that time passes with us or without us. We have to choose whether we are going to stop and see the beauty in each of the changes. It will take a bit to get used to it of course but then again it changes anyway.So stop sometime this week and look around you and see what nature has in store for you. There is something for everyone but you have to look to see it.Thanks for listening. Steve

It is a depression they just don't want you to know.

SO WHAT ABOUT THE ECONOMY WHO'S FAULT IS IT. It really doesn't matter the fact is the economy is worse than it has been in 40 years.We should always look to history to learn from our mistakes,but the current administration can't see the parallel between now and the great depression. If they could they would know that the stimulus money was spent in the wrong places. it should have been spent on public works projects to create local jobs to put people back to work.Then they would have been paying taxes back to the government which in return would help to fund the whole thing. Why do the people in charge always lack good common sense. It would be to easy if they just used common sense but then politics never makes sense it just goes around in a circle.Thanks for listening Steve

What is wrong with America?

I often wonder having raised six of my eight children what is wrong with the young people these days. What do you mean wrong with them you say. Well when it gets winter time these days they wear a stocking cap a full length winter coat but wear flip flops and shorts. We never dressed like that when I was a kid. For starters our dad would have beat the tar out of us. He would have said whats wrong with you are you retarded. So whatever is wrong with them did not start with us.   My youngest is in kindergarten and they are teaching them about wearing a coat hat and being fully dressed when outside in the winter so its not the schools fault.In fact as far as I can tell you learn everything you need to know to survive in kindergarten.Its like the world has been turned upside down and no one knows how it got this, way let alone how to put it back the way it was. My kids say it is just that I am not normal but I think if the young people are normal than I would rather be abnormal. Thanks for listening. Steve

Where did America go?

What ever happened to the America that I grew up in? You know the land of the free and the home of the brave. The America where we all speak English in the stores and you do not need two signs that say bathroom. One in Spanish and one in English you choose. The America where we gladly accepted immigrants from any country.They were encouraged to learn and to speak English and were proud to become Americans. I guess what got me started on this is the other day I used the telephone for some business and I was told I needed to push a number 2 to listen in English. I was like where am I this is America of course I want to listen in English,we used to speak it here. Don't get me wrong I believe that our culture is stronger because it comes from so many other countries that is why we were called the melting pot. I just think it would be nice if the immigrants taught there children to speak the language of there home land .I just want them to speak English in the store and in public that's all. That way they would still be able to teach the children about there culture without loosing it forever. I miss the America where I grew up,if anyone knows where it went let me know I might want to go there. Thanks for listening. Steve