"A natural disaster only remains one if you are not prepared for it," says Steve Shenk, founder of MyFarmInABox.com
Salt Lake City, UT (PRWEB) March 25, 2014
Nationally renowned agricultural and food supply expert Steve Shenk believes Americans are ill-prepared for when rising fruit, produce, dairy and beef prices hit in full force as a result of the drought in parts of the mid-West and the West Coast.
The Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service predicted in January that drought conditions would continue through 2014. California, the country’s largest producer of fruits, vegetables and nuts, closed the books on 2013 as the driest year on record. In addition to a destructive drought, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is further harming farmers in a recent ruling that upheld federal guidelines limiting water deliveries from northern parts of California to the state’s south. The guidelines are in place to protect an endangered fish.
According to a recent USA Today article, beef and veal prices went up 4 percent from January 2014, and the Department of Agriculture noted that grocery store prices are expected to rise by as much as 3.5 percent from last year. As working families continue struggling to make ends meet, higher food costs will put a strain on already tight budgets.
“People don’t have to be be caught flat-footed in storms or natural disasters victims,” says Steve Shenk, founder of MyFarmInABox.com. “I have been helping people get ready for catastrophes for years, and one of the most important things I tell people is that a natural disaster only remains one if you are not prepared for it. There are some very important yet basic steps budget-conscious families and individuals can take to ensure they and their families do not fall victim to events like droughts that can cause food prices to rise significantly while decreasing the nation’s food supply.”
More from the USDA and USA Today on how West Coast and MidWest drought conditions will impact the nation’s food supply:
- Beef. The average retail cost of fresh beef last month was $5.28 a pound, up from $5.04 in January and the highest on records dating to 1987, according to the Agriculture Department … Midwest ranchers thinned their cattle herds after droughts in 2011 and 2012 shrank pastures, says Sterling owner John Nalivka.
- Pork. Retail pork prices rose 6.8% in the past year to an average $3.73 a pound in February as beef shoppers turned to cheaper pork options. But a virus outbreak since last April has killed about 6 million pigs, reducing the national herd by nearly 10% …smaller inventory to boost per-pound prices to $4 by summer.
- Poultry. More expensive beef and pork have prompted some shoppers to buy chicken and turkey. Poultry prices increased 4.7% last year, the Agriculture Department says.
- Milk. The average price of a gallon of milk was $3.56 last month, up from $3.46 in October. The main reason: a surge in exports to China and other Asian nations…Retailers have been hit by a 36% wholesale price increase since December…per-gallon retail prices could rise another 25 cents to 50 cents this year.
- Fruits and vegetables. Unusually cold weather in California and a "citrus greening" disease in Florida have damaged citrus crops. Orange prices increased 3.4% last month, and strawberry prices are up 12% vs. a year ago… prices for other fruits and vegetables could spike this year, depending on the damage caused by California's drought.
Shenk continues: “[s]pring storms, while they may appear to be the answer to drought-stricken plains, can be as destructive as drought conditions. Last Spring, suturing rains turned into deep, thick mud, which prevented many farmers from planting crops in time for robust harvests. The storms this year and last year are proving most Americans have fallen short. I want to help Americans triumph over Mother Nature each and
every year.”
In response to these issues, Shenk has recently published a free Emergency Survival Guide which provides step-by-step structure anyone can follow, including preparedness programs, plans and updated information for:
- Long-term drought and increasing food costs;
- Emergency home and car kits;
- Floods and flash floods;
- Water uses and storage;
- Pro-longed electrical outages;
- Fires and wildfires;
- Tornadoes, hurricanes and earthquakes.
ABOUT STEVE SHENK
Steve Shenk has been an emergency preparedness and survival pioneer for over 30 years. He’s worked with folks like George Noory and Alex Jones extensively in an effort to make people aware of circumstances and events in our country and the world that they need to know about in order to plan for and protect themselves and their families. As an expert regarding food security, supplies, and survival awareness, Steve is a foremost authority on agricultural trends, and legislation as they apply to food costs and availability. Many Americans know Steve from his radio show and appearances, along with his YouTube videos. His insights and understanding of world and national food, agricultural, and economic issues have been the subject of talk shows, interviews, and articles.
For more information, visit http://www.fearlessusa.com.
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