Every time I write about this, conditions are even worse. If you look at the latest map from the U.S. Drought Monitor, you will see that almost all of America’s heartland is now in some state of drought. Much of Kansas is dealing with either “severe” or “exceptional” drought, and in previous articles I have written about how this will impact the winter wheat harvest. But now areas that grow most of our corn and most of our soy are also getting absolutely hammered by drought.
If this drought in America’s breadbasket continues through the summer, we are going to have a very serious problem on our hands.
At this point, farmers all over the middle of the country are praying for rain, because right now things are not looking good…
Below-average rainfall and high winds also exacerbated drought conditions in much of the High Plains region from top spring wheat producer North Dakota to the largest winter wheat state Kansas, the U.S. Drought Monitor report showed.
Concerns about the dry start to the U.S. summer crop season and potential harvest shortfalls have sent corn and soybean prices soaring to multi-month highs, although both crops can still rebound with timely rains.
The last time that I wrote about this, a little bit more than a third of all U.S. corn was being grown in areas affected by drought.
Now, 64 percent of our corn and 57 percent of our soy is being grown in areas that are affected by drought…
Drought continues to be a major story for farmers this year, and new data shows drought conditions are deepening across the Midwest. According to the National Drought Mitigation Center, 64% of the corn crop and 57% of the soybean crop across the U.S. are now covered in drought. That’s a sizable jump in just a week, which is reflected in the ongoing decline in crop conditions.
In other words, conditions are deteriorating very rapidly.
According to the latest report, only 55 percent of U.S. corn is rated good to excellent. The last time we witnessed such a low level was in 1992…
Nationally, USDA-NASS says 55% of the corn crop is rated good to excellent. Lance Honig, NASS Crops Branch Chief, says there are only two years in history where condition ratings have been lower for this week: 1992, when 52% of the crop was rated good to excellent and 1988 with a 37% good to excellent rating.
It has been more than three decades since we have seen anything like this.
And in the key corn-producing state of Illinois, only 36 percent of corn is rated good to excellent…
“I’m very concerned about the weather,” said Sherman Newlin, who grows corn and soybean in Illinois. “We have low humidity, 90-degree temperatures and now the wind is sucking the moisture out of crops really fast.”
Conditions have been particularly poor in Illinois, the No. 2 US producer. Only 36% of the state’s crop was rated good to excellent for the week ending June 18, down 12 percentage points from a week earlier.
“I was shocked at the big drop in Illinois ratings,” Newlin said. “I knew we were bad, but: Wow.”
Big trouble is brewing, and most Americans have no idea that this is happening.
The bad harvests that we had last year have already pushed food prices to ridiculous levels, and now it appears that the price of corn could be headed a lot higher…
Futures in Chicago have jumped more than 12% over four sessions, the biggest such gain since early March 2022, when the outbreak of the war in Ukraine rattled grain markets.
Meanwhile, it appears that the orange harvest in Florida is going to be even worse than the experts were projecting…
Predicted crop production numbers have been dropping since December 2022, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service estimated that 20 million boxes of oranges would be produced. 20 million boxes would have been a 51 percent decrease from 2021’s season.
But the state’s produced just under 16 million boxes of oranges through May, which amounts to a 60 percent decline in production, according to Florida Department of Citrus Director of Economic Market and Research Marisa Zansler.
I hope that you don’t like orange juice. Because it is about to get really expensive.
And I wouldn’t count on eating a whole lot of beef in the year ahead either, because the size of the U.S. beef cow herd is “the smallest since 1962”.
It is almost as if some sort of a “perfect storm” has hit U.S. food production.
No matter what the Federal Reserve does with interest rates, food prices are going to continue to surge higher in the months ahead, and that is because we are simply not producing as much food as we normally do.
And of course U.S. farmers are facing operating costs that continue to spiral out of control. For instance, an excellent article that Zero Hedge has just published has some sobering news about used farm equipment…
A proprietary used farm equipment price tracker published by Jefferies showed clients this week that “used farm equipment shows continued strong pricing as we move through 2023.”
Jefferies scraped used equipment website MachineFinder. Its analysts found large farm equipment was up 13% year-over-year in June, while small farm equipment was up 11.4%. The most significant price move was a 42.% jump in combines.
Sadly, the U.S. is not alone.
Drought, flooding, natural disasters and extremely bizarre weather patterns are devastating crops all over the planet.
And that is really bad news, because even CNN has admitted that we are already in the worst global food crisis in modern history. You may not want to hear this, but the coming global famine has already begun.
In the western world, this will initially manifest itself in higher prices. In poorer areas of the planet, people are dying from starvation even as you read this article.
But because the corporate media is not making a big deal out of this, many of you still believe that everything is just fine…
Coffee the Christian way: Promised Grounds
Michael’s new book entitled “End Times” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can check out his new Substack newsletter right here.
Article cross-posted from End of the American Dream.
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
