Drought in The U.s. – a 2012 Disaster

Drought In The U.S. – A 2012 Disaster 

A state of emergency has been declared in over 1,000 counties due to drought and heat for farmers and ranchers throughout the southern and Midwestern United States. Without enough rain and moisture to keep crops alive, much of the food producing crops of the Midwest will wither and die. Prices will continue to grow as plants continue to die and our food industry will feel the brunt of the loss in early fall.

As the heat continues to climb above 100 degrees across the U.S., farmers and ranchers scramble to keep food product crops and feeding fields alive. It seems the moisture has been sucked from the ground this summer of 2012 and the land is becoming a barren desert of waste.

Corn and soy beans are main stay crops grown in the Midwest and used for a variety of products from food to fuel. Our corn crop is the greatest product to be in danger at this time. The U.S. is responsible for producing and shipping over half of the worlds corn crop needs to other nations. It is used for grain, feed for livestock, fuel, food and starch products.

If corn crops fail, the U.S. loses a large portions of sales from other countries and prices will more than double by fall for corn and all corn products. As the heat wave continues we will see increased numbers of Japanese beetles and various types of spiders invade the fields, causing further damage.

This creates the circle of higher cost to feed cattle, increasing the cost of meat to the consumer in the coming months. The farmers and ranchers lose money and everyone will have to pay more for the food they buy every day. It places the families already struggling to make ends meet in an even worse situation.

At this time, no one knows how long the drought will last. There is no end to the heat in sight for a while and that means the loss of more crops, increasing prices for products we need everyday and a shortage of water.

By late summer much of the country will be on water rationing. Lawns will be left to die in order to have enough water for daily use and consumption. Community and family gardens will suffer, too. There will be less produce from local gardens and this mean consumers will have to purchase more of the food they will use in the coming year.

Food and fuel cost will soar. Jobs will decrease with the loss of so many crops and with winter is just around the corner the number of poor and homeless will increase. Prepare now with easy to fix meals. Use simple ingredients and skip the heavy meat meals that will add to the cost.

Next on the list will be the cost of fuel. Plan trips carefully around work, shopping and other activities that require driving for daily survival. Plan vacations close to home or at home preparing for the coming months.

It is a new era dawning and times are hard. But, by pulling together as a nation and as communities, it is possible to survive until things improve or we find better solutions to daily living.

This is going to be one of the toughest winters in history as the cost of everything increases, people are going to be out of jobs more than ever before and survival will become the number one concern of every household, family and individual.