"I Haven't Got My Food Stamps Yet"

Our home phone number is similar to the number of the Public Welfare office in Lancaster,PA. So, about once a week, we get calls like this one from last Friday:

"Hello. This is Charlene Cobalt* and I haven't got my food stamps yet!"
I sensed that Charlene wanted action not sympathy, so I responded with "You have the wrong number." End of conversation.Click. I wish I could have been more helpful.

I'm among the fortunate ones. I've mostly had plenty to eat and no worries about paying for food. While I foresee that changing sometime sooner or later, I know millions of people have huge concerns now!

For example,one of the causes of the current revolution in Egypt is the high price of food, brought on by climate related factors which took a toll on Russia, Brazil and Australia's harvests. The cost of food hit an all time high in January. Wheat, for example, has almost doubled since last summer!

Now, this Egyptian upheaval is disrupting the flow of food to their markets, causing them even higher costs.

Compounding the problem, investors sense an opportunity to make money speculating on commodities. So they jump in and drive the price up further.

We may be in for a long siege of ever higher food prices. The American Grain Council is now reporting that China will import NINE TIMES more corn than previously estimated. We can expect corn prices to rise significantly and along with them,of course, will be the price of meat.

I would hope for easy solutions to the problem. But that's pie in the sky. It's clear that you and I can have little impact upon international or national trends.

But WE are not helpless!

What WE can do is band together locally. WE can form as many connections as possible with people who grow and sell food. WE can start food co-ops, join CSAs, buy from local farmers at farmer's markets, and even grow our own.

Have you bought your seeds for this year yet? Have you joined a CSA or food co-op? Take action! Do it today!

We live on a finite planet. Unless we learn to live simply and cooperatively in local communities, we will soon all be looking for someone to call and the voice at the other end will say,"Sorry,Charlene.Wrong number."

* Not her real name.