*Disruption of Food Supplies*
The 1918 Flu pandemic was nearly a showstopper. The reason that we did okay was demographics since 80% of the people in North America lived in the country, 20% in the cities. Today, that is reversed with 80% of the people living in the city. Compounding the problem, farmers in the 1920s fed themselves, for the most part, with a "cash crop" for spending money. Today's farmers are, for the most part, big businesses and they buy their food from the grocery store. I'd suggest that folks tended to be a little more self reliant back then too, but I can't prove that.
Food today travels great distances. Most everything we buy depends on transportation.
When I was studying the potential for disruption by a pandemic flu, I realized we were in trouble. Food supplies in major centers are good for three days - then nothing. Most folks do not have much food in their pantry.
The only way to stop a pandemic (short of a wonder drug) is isolation. The only way to feed people is to maintain the transport system.
See the problem?
I know we all have food stored and we can survive whatever event forces us into seclusion. My question (again) is, what are you going to do after everything calms down?
Do you have a means of producing food?
Do you have some folk nearby that have the skills, ability, infrastructure, and have planned for events and will be able to produce food...and will need whatever services you have to offer in trade?
Can you protect what you have long enough to use it? (Or at least until communities can establish themselves, the food supply, and a semblance of law and order?)
I have to tell you that I live on a small farm, and am surrounded by farmers. They are tough, self reliant, and have NOT planned for a long-term disruption in the transportation industry. Feed and seed are ordered as required - not stocked for a year or two.
The townsfolk that I know are in the same boat, except not only do they not have more than a few days food, they also have zero ability to grow their own.
The old time farmers used to stock feed and seed (and their own food) for two years. As one old timer explained to me, " you can have one bad harvest, but not often do you have two failed harvests in a row. Plan for two years food, and you'll be ok."
I have food stocked for a long time, and I have enough to weather a bad harvest. I also have animals, and the ability to feed them for the foreseeable future. They, and my garden, will feed me. I also have the ability to keep what I have in my possession along with plans to run away if overwhelmed (no such thing as impregnable).
I am not predicting the end of the world but I do see the potential for real issues developing here, and the end result could be a worst case scenario.
Am I alone in my concerns? I think not. We all need to plan “what to do” in case of a long-term societal collapse. Got a team?
Garry
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