Is the U.S. headed for a food shortage?

[Eddielbs]

“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 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.”

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 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.”

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.

The May 1, 2008 CCC Inventory report may be reviewed here: http://www.fsa.usda.gov/Internet/FSA_File/wid2a.pdf.

[FireLion]

This is exactly why I keep a 6 to 8 month supply of food and water stored for emergency use. I say, feed America first! Do we have the only farmers in the world?

[Nitetimes]

Have rifle....will eat!!!! No problem!!! Anything else I can grow if need be. I've got a pressure cooker and jars, ain't likely I'll starve!

I say, feed America first! Do we have the only farmers in the world?

I agree 100%!! It's high time we start feeding our own instead of worrying about the rest of the world.

[emiller]

Little by little the farmers are selling there lands and no new farms popping up anywhere. There are a couple of farms that have closed here in southern Arizona and have opened up operations in Mexico.

[Arne]

I doubt we will have a food shortage... we certainly will continue to see prices rise... little by little, with no end in sight.

[cs_whypt2]

There will be no food shortage. The goverment pays for land to sit vacant.
Feed America first.
The reason why farms are disappearing is because we have better technology to grow more food per foot of land. Even through population rises, instead of needing to wipe out more woods to make farm, we just use technology (better mechanics and oh no, do I dare say it...chemicals) to make more food in less area. It is better for the environment.

Dianne

[emiller]

On this side of the country the land isn't vacant there are homes in the farm lands now.

[satch]

On this side of the country the land isn't vacant there are homes in the farm lands now.

Same here, Once upon a time, I used to see acres of corn, and other crops,now, subdivisions

[cowboy63645]

coming from a farming family (my farm has been in my family for 165 documented years) I dont want to do anything else!! Now, since I own the land, it will be passed onto my kids and hopefully will stay in the family for many many more years. I dont grow crops, but have cattle and have hay fields, and horses and chickens. Ther will not be a shortage of food in the US, but prices will keep going up.

[Arne]

Last time I was in Chicago, in 2004, the closest campground was 50 miles outside the city. I was surrounded by quite a few corn fields. On them were signs:

For Sale, zoned Residential.....

Not more than a couple of miles towards the city were where the suburbs ended (at that time).

[caseydog]

Wow, there are some rather startling posts in this thread. And, they are responses to a rumor that seems pretty hard for me to accept as true.

There is a global food shortage, but we are the rich country, so we get all the food we need. Judging by US obesity rates, I'd suggest that maybe we get more than we need.

Here is an article I found in about 30 seconds by googling USA food shortage...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24316114/

And, IMO, the reason we should help people in other countries is very simple -- because we can?

CD

[Ron Dickey]

Much of the food we see in the stores is from South of the boarder. Out her all the land has goen to Grape Vines Mikes favorite kind for Wine. The framlands out here have become Vinyards or houses. We have a small acage in the famaly for farming and a tractor but we usually rent it to other farmers for the Farmers Market.
If you want more of your own you may need to look in your own backYard and get, buy, or build some pots and use your sink water to grow a new crop of the Veg.'s you like.
the mom and Pop farms are being bought up by large food companies who have a hand on the Gov. tail strings. they also use famrs outside the US.
The Food outside is not regulated and they can use any chemical they want to grow it. The cost of labor is a factor.... and now the cost of Gas I am sure will make the every day farmer think about reverting back to horse to pull the plow. the car came to be becaue of the amount of polution caused by horses in early america.
Must will be learned by this and we may have to hit bottom to wake up as usual.

[Ron Dickey]

The biggist problem we are facing is that Farming is and rearly is fun for the kids to carry on. My father was from a farm family and he and his brother left the Farm as soon as they could and did not look back.
The Farmers now Are retriring and the Kid will or will not have it in their blood and the chance of selling the land to a developer and suddenly having a million bucks for the land is very hard to resist. Framing in America needs to be rethought out so it becomes an attraction to the young to start a New Farming Business in America.

[cowboy63645]

I agree with you, and I was brought up farming, and now work my own cattle (80 head) I love it, and couldnt imagine doing anything else, but it is really all I know, and all that I want to know. My 6 year old daughter shows calves now, and when my 21 month old and 3 month old get old enough, they will do the same....if they decide to do something else, that is fine. My 6 year old LOVES the farm life....she is up and feeding the horses before she even eats breakfast, WITHOUT BEING ASKED!!!! It is something that she loves and I hope one day all of my kids will be able to take it over and run it, and keep it in the family....

[Mary K]

I got at least a 2 month food supply.....stored around my gut and butt.

Folks, we wont run out of food, we will just pay more for a Big Mac.

Mk