Wheat Prices On Fire

Wheat is just leading the upward charge. Other food commodities are rising as well.

Record wheat price ignites food inflation fears

It's $15 a bushel at Minneapolis Grain Exchange and expected to keep climbing

BY TOM WEBB
Pioneer Press

Article Launched: 02/08/2008 12:01:00 AM CST

The highest wheat price in U.S. history - more than $15 a bushel - was reached Thursday in Minneapolis as a trading frenzy inflames the grain markets, fans fears of spiking food costs and revives worries about food shortages.

With wheat stockpiles dwindling, a worldwide scramble is under way for bushels of high-protein spring wheat, the variety grown in Minnesota and the Dakotas and traded at the Minneapolis Grain Exchange. Already, spring wheat prices have tripled in the past year and are poised to move even higher.

"In my wildest dreams, six months ago I didn't see $15 wheat," said Ed Usset, grain-marketing specialist at the University of Minnesota.

Thursday's closing price of $15.23 a bushel may be jubilant news for wheat farmers and the rural Midwest, as the historic rally pushes corn and soybean prices near records, too. But it could mean new price shocks for consumers, and it already alarms food companies that need wheat for such consumer staples as bread, cereal, crackers and pasta.

In 2007, the rate of U.S. food inflation more than doubled to a 17-year high of 4.8 percent. Some expect that pace to nearly double again this year.

"We're projecting that food inflation in the U.S. is going to be 8 percent," said Mark Palmquist, executive vice president for the ag businesses of CHS, a farmer-owned cooperative based in Inver Grove Heights.

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I'll say once again--buy storage food NOW. It is better than money in the bank in this situation.

Get Ready ... Seriously - www.safecastleroyal.com

"Business Not as Usual: Preparing for a Pandemic Flu"

Excellent new video made for businesses and organizations in Seattle and King County ...

Click link to open streaming video:

Business Not As Usual:Preparing for a Pandemic Flu

Windows MediaPlayer must be installed on your computer to view the streaming video through your Internet browser. Install Windows MediaPlayer (free).

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Get Ready ... Seriously - www.safecastleroyal.com

Montague Folding Bikes & Swiss Bikes - Preppers' Bikes

Think spring. Think portable transportation. Think riding under your own power down city streets, along dusty trails, and across babbling brooks.

These bikes are tough and cool. Easy to carry in your compact trunk, on a plane or train, or stowed under your desk or in your apartment closet. Just 30 seconds to fold down or to reassemble, light enough to carry in a special shoulder bag--being prepared for the unexpected or the inconvenient should always be so easy.

I have the Montague Paratrooper and it is by far the most adaptable, enjoyable, most rugged yet most comfortable ride I've experienced. In fact, that's why I sell the Montague and SwissBike lines. I believe in them.

Check out our folding bike listings here (remember--we ship free to the lower 48, AND our members get 20% off the list prices)!



Get Ready ... Seriously - www.safecastleroyal.com

Killer Tornadoes Wreak Devastation in 4 States

The severe storm season in the U.S. has made a sudden, tragic entrance on the scene.

Folks are free to play the odds and hope they aren't ever struck by the fury that is possible out there, but we have to encourage you to have in place a viable shelter that will withstand winds that otherwise threaten those who are unprepared.

Twisters Kill at Least 50 in Southern States

LAFAYETTE, Tenn. - Rescue crews, some with the help of the National Guard, went door-to-door looking for more victims a day after a cluster of tornadoes tore through the South, killing at least 50 people and injuring several hundred.

Residents in five states tried to salvage what they could Wednesday from homes reduced to piles of debris. Dozens of twisters were reported as storms swept through Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas and Alabama.

Seavia Dixon, whose home in Atkins, Ark., was shattered, stood in her yard, holding muddy baby pictures of her son, who is now a 20-year-old soldier in Iraq. Only a concrete slab was left.

[snip]


Get Ready ... Seriously - www.safecastle.com

Legendary Investor Counsels Rich to Prepare for War in "Wealth, War, and Wisdom"

Excerpt from Bloomberg:

Biggs's Tips for the Rich: Expect War, Study Blitz, Mind Markets

Jan. 30 (Bloomberg) -- Barton Biggs has some offbeat advice for the rich: Insure yourself against war and disaster by buying a remote farm or ranch and stocking it with "seed, fertilizer, canned food, wine, medicine, clothes, etc.''

The "etc.'' must mean guns.

"A few rounds over the approaching brigands' heads would probably be a compelling persuader that there are easier farms to pillage,'' he writes in his new book, "Wealth, War and Wisdom.''

Biggs is no paranoid survivalist. He was chief global strategist at Morgan Stanley before leaving in 2003 to form hedge fund Traxis Partners. He doesn't lock and load until the last page of this smart look at how World War II warped share prices, gutted wealth and remains a warning to investors. His message: Listen to markets, learn from history and prepare for the worst.

[snip]

My Take: I haven't read this yet, but I will certainly be getting a copy.

According to his bio, author Barton Biggs spent 30 years at Morgan Stanley. Capping his many achievements, he served as Chairman of the investment management firm.

At various times during this period (1973-2003) he was ranked as the number one U.S. investment strategist by the Institutional Investor magazine poll and then, from 1996 to 2003, as the number one global strategist. In 2003, Biggs left Morgan Stanley and, with two other colleagues, formed Traxis Partners. Traxis now has well over a billion dollars under its management.

On "War, Wealth, and Wisdom," the publisher summarizes:

During our current years of political upheaval and dramatic market swings, it's important to look back on historic periods to gain insights into the direction of stocks and economic stability for investment opportunities today. In Wealth, War, and Wisdom, legendary Wall Street investor Barton Biggs has analyzed, for the first time, the major events of World War II and how they shaped the stock market and individual wealth from 1930 to 1945. No one before Biggs has traced this intersection, and the lessons for investing today are unparalleled. In Wealth, War, and Wisdom, Biggs discusses the performance of equities in both victorious and defeated countries. He then reveals how individuals preserved their wealth and explores whether or not public equities were able to increase in value and serve as a wealth preserver in spite of the ongoing battles. Besides examining the stock market, Biggs looks at how other assets, including real estate and gold, fared during this dynamic and devastating period. His unique account of the Second World War is lively and lesson-filled on life, politics, and survival, and completely relevant to predicting the way modern financial markets and the economy may act during times of uncertainty. Filled with in-depth insights and practical advice, Wealth, War, and Wisdom will help investors apply these original financial lessons directly, and beneficially, to today's turbulent markets.


Get Ready ... Seriously - www.safecastleroyal.com

Fifteen More Cities on Homeland Security Terror-Risk List

The Associated Press reports that the Department of Homeland Security has added 15 cities/regions to its list for funding priorities--areas thatare at high risk of terrorist attack.

See Fox News' report here.

Added to last year's Tier II list: Albany, NY; Rochester, N.Y.; Syracuse, N.Y.; Austin and Round Rock, Texas; Baton Rouge, La.; Bridgeport, Stamford and Norwalk, Conn.; the Hartford, Conn., region; Louisville and Jefferson County in Kentucky and an adjoining area in Indiana; Nashville, Davidson County and Murfreesboro, Tenn.; Richmond, Va.; Riverside, San Bernardino and Ontario, Calif.; Salt Lake City; San Juan, Caguas and Guaynabo, Puerto Rico; and Toledo, Ohio.

The FY07 Tier II list:
Anaheim/Santa Ana Area (CA)
Atlanta Area (GA)
Baltimore Area (MD)
Boston Area (MA)
Buffalo Area (NY)
Charlotte Area (NC)
Cincinnati Area (OH)
Cleveland Area (OH)
Columbus Area (OH)
Dallas/Fort Worth/Arlington Area (TX)
Denver Area (CO)
Detroit Area (MI)
El Paso Area (TX)
Fort Lauderdale Area (FL)
Honolulu Area (HI)
Indianapolis Area (IN)
Jacksonville Area (FL)
Kansas City Area (MO)
Las Vegas Area (NV)
Memphis Area (TN)
Miami Area (FL)
Milwaukee Area (WI)
New Orleans Area (LA)
Norfolk Area (VA)
Oklahoma City Area (OK)
Orlando Area (FL)
Philadelphia Area (PA)
Phoenix Area (AZ)
Pittsburgh Area (PA)
Portland Area (OR)
Providence Area (RI)
Sacramento Area (CA)
San Antonio Area (TX)
San Diego Area (CA)
Seattle Area (WA)
St. Louis Area (MO)
Tampa Area (FL)
Tucson Area (AZ)
Twin Cities Area (MN)

The Tier I list of cities (that receive the most funding):

Bay Area (CA)
Chicago Area (IL)
Houston Area (TX)
Los Angeles/Long Beach Area (CA)
National Capital Region (DC)
New York City/Northern New Jersey Area
• New York City Area
• Jersey City/Newark Area


Get Ready ... Seriously - www.safecastleroyal.com

U.S. National Guard & Reserves NOT Ready for Attack Within US

Get Ready ... Seriously - www.safecastleroyal.com

Pakistan is the Front Line

He says he's "not interested" in Pakistan's nukes. Uh, OK then.

More Dangerous Than Osama
Militant Leader Claims He Is Fighting a 'Defensive' Jihad to Destroy the White House

By NICK SCHIFRIN

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan Jan. 28, 2008

He is more dangerous to Pakistan than Osama bin Laden, analysts say. He may be the single most important person in Pakistan's fight for its future. And for the first time, he has described the goals and the details of the network of militants responsible for the most violent time in Pakistan in 60 years.

During a 25-minute sit-down with al Jazeera, Baitullah Mehsud, the man Pakistan blames for killing former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, claims he is fighting a "defensive" jihad with the goal to destroy the White House, New York and London.

[snip] Click article title to read on.

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Get Ready ... Seriously - www.safecastleroyal.com

Cost Analysis on Preparedness Foods

As a part of the work that went into our new calorie-based/budget-options food listings, we did some pretty in-depth research.

We found that the best estimates today, are that Americans spend an average of $2.88 per meal per person.

That's over $3100 a year per person to keep them fed (and in America, that really means, over-fed).

As a percentage of disposable income, food expenditures average between 10% and 11% per household.

How Does that Matter?

For our latest preparedness food packages, we were aiming to put together convenient, good-tasting foods that would not only satisfy nutritional/caloric requirements, but budgetary requirements as well.

Our calorie-based variety packages come in at over 2200 calories a day--not far under the average daily caloric consumption (after spoilage and plate-waste adjustments). Cost-wise, at three meals a day, we are looking at an average of $2.70 per meal in these packages--well under the current budgetary demands Americans are currently putting up with.

Much to Consider

It's important for people to know that a smart food preparedness program accounts for a number of factors:

1. Budget--obviously a key. People want to be sure they do not over-pay for their emergency rations. (With the rapid rise in food prices these days--well-packaged, properly stored emergency food actually appreciates in value with time.)

2. Nutritional value--nutritional value and caloric requirements are often not adequately considered, strangely enough, by those who put food away for a rainy day. If you want to eat like you're used to, you may need to store enough to eat about 2800 calories a day. Americans should have a minimum of 2000 calories a day stored away.

3. Variety, ease of use--perhaps the most important rule of all in food storage--"Store what you eat, eat what you store." In times of stress, it's important you have food that you are familiar with, that you enjoy eating, that you do not have food allergies to. Beans, rice, and wheat serve a purpose in most food storage efforts, as they are cheap and high in caloric value. But if that does not define your diet now, then you should be sure to also have on hand the kinds of foods you DO eat regularly--meats, pastas, stews, etc. And you should be comfortable with how your storage foods need to be prepared. Freeze-dried and dehydrated foods, you need to add water. Staples require more processing and cooking.

4. Shelf life--most foods at your local grocery store are good for months to a couple of years on the shelf. 50-pound bags of staples you might buy locally or online should be stored away in vacuum-sealed buckets to maximize storage life--as long as 10 years for many of those staples if done properly. MREs are good for a few years only, and as with most foods, they are very sensitive to storage conditions. Wet-packed meats, canned cheeses and dairy products canned for storage are often going to be good for 10-15 years. Freeze-dried and dehydrated foods will be good for 15-30 years.

The longer the shelf life and the better the storage conditions (consistently cool and dry are the ideal), the less you will need to rotate and replace the stocks.

Bottom Line

There is much more to a good and effective food-storage program than initial price. If you consider all the factors above for your personal situation before you make your emergency food purchases, you will arrive at THE best value. And THAT is what will result in peace of mind and real security.


Get Ready ... Seriously - www.safecastleroyal.com

"When All Hell Breaks Loose: Stuff You Need to Survive When Disaster Strikes"

Safecastle just purchased a quantity of Cody Lundin's new book, "When All Hell Breaks Loose: Stuff You Need to Survive When Disaster Strikes."

Do you know Cody? Two things: he's an animal! ... but he's an articulate animal!

I wanted to get copies of this uniquely powerful survival manual in the hands of as many of our friends as possible. So here's the deal--new Safecastle Royal members signing up get a FREE copy by entering this coupon code on the payment page of the checkout process: FREEWAHBL (while supplies last).

The book will take 3-4 weeks to arrive.

Established club members--you can of course get in on the deal as well. You can purchase the book (see link above) at the standard 20% member discount (let me know if you need the member discount code again). OR, you can get a free copy with any purchase of more than $150, after your universal member discount is applied. Simply mention the book offer in the comments section in the checkout process and we'll get you your free copy.

Want to know more about the author? Watch the YouTube clip of Cody at the bottom of our listing. (If you are sensitive about language or primitive survival methods, you may not want to play the vid.)
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Get Ready ... Seriously - www.safecastleroyal.com

Personal Reflection on the Times

Seems like all I've been posting here lately is a wide variety of threatening headlines from around the world.

Although there should be no denying the fact that our shrinking globe is getting more dangerous on an almost daily basis, I really want to keep this blog's primary message front and center ...

That is, there is NO reason to freak out. In fact, since you presumably are approaching things properly today, if and when the day ever does arrive when most of your neighbors are running around with their hair on fire, you will have no reason, even then, to lose your cool.

Boiled down, there are two main rationales for household preparedness.

One--it is a very good thing to have in place the supplies, gear, knowledge, and frame of mind to deal with a sudden crisis or disaster. Crises happen. One MAY happen to you, so do you want to be equipped to deal with it if it does? Or do you want to put your family's welfare on the line strung between government competence and local benevolence and community teamwork?

Two--more immediate and universal ... when you are prepared, you invariably feel better and more at peace with your place in the world. Whether hell ever comes a calling or not, you DO have an increased measure of substantive peace of mind, and the only way that is taken from you is if your preps and your pre-positioned learnings and mindset disappear.

Beat the Rush ... Panic Now

Just kidding. But really, if there is anxiety and a sense of urgency out there today ... it is among those who have delayed in putting together their readiness plans and acting on them. It's almost never too late to get started, but plainly, more and more people out there are feeling the urge. That only makes things more difficult if you are in competition with others for limited resources.

Get yours in place before all the emergency-storage food companies are back-ordered. Related gear providers, guns and ammo dealers, and shelter builders to mention a few other resources also can get quickly swamped. It happens in times of national stress--two or three times in the last several years that I recall. And we haven't even really experienced a real national crisis yet in our day. Not the kind that is materially relevant to most everyone in every home.

If that ever does happen (think pandemic, think economic calamity, think coordinated NBC attacks, think outright global warfare), your chances for getting squared away suddenly drop to nil.

Contingency planning is smart. It's logical. We expect it from our government, corporate, and church leaders. But even if they live up to their obligations--there is little overlap with your needed household contingency planning needs.

Get with the program. No one else can do it for you. When you do, you'll be breathing easier.

Get Ready ... Seriously - www.safecastleroyal.com

H5N1 Gaining Momentum in India

This is a scary example of how important education is in pandemic preparedness. One region where education is lacking COULD come back to haunt all of us.

India faces bird flu 'disaster'
By Sailendra Sil in Kolkata
January 22, 2008 08:12pm

Excerpt:
INDIA'S worst ever outbreak of the virulent H5N1 strain of bird flu could turn into a disaster, an official warned, as five people were reportedly quarantined with symptoms of the virus.
Eight districts in the eastern state of West Bengal have been hit by the virus, with dead birds being sold to locals who are said to be "feasting" on cheap chicken.

The state's animal resources minister, Anisur Rahaman, said authorities were "determined to cull all poultry in the districts in three or four days, otherwise the state will face a disaster".
More than 100,000 bird deaths have been reported, and teams are racing to cull two million chickens and ducks.

The Times of India reported five people in West Bengal have been quarantined with "clinical symptoms" of avian flu - including fever, coughing, sore throats and muscle aches - after handling affected poultry.

If the tests are positive for H5N1, this will be the first case of human infection in India, home to 1.1 billion people and hit by bird flu among poultry three times since 2006.


Get Ready ... Seriously - www.safecastleroyal.com

NATO Needs Preemptive Nuclear Strike Option

Things just keep getting "interestinger" and "interestinger."

Pre-emptive nuclear strike a key option, Nato told

Ian Traynor in Brussels

Tuesday January 22, 2008

The Guardian

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Excerpt:

The west must be ready to resort to a pre-emptive nuclear attack to try to halt the "imminent" spread of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction, according to a radical manifesto for a new Nato by five of the west's most senior military officers and strategists.

Calling for root-and-branch reform of Nato and a new pact drawing the US, Nato and the European Union together in a "grand strategy" to tackle the challenges of an increasingly brutal world, the former armed forces chiefs from the US, Britain, Germany, France and the Netherlands insist that a "first strike" nuclear option remains an "indispensable instrument" since there is "simply no realistic prospect of a nuclear-free world".

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Get Ready ... Seriously - www.safecastle.com

Investor Pessimism Running Rampant

U.S. markets open tomorrow with the path ahead dropping away into the mists.

Click to read article:
Stock Markets Plunge Worldwide


Get Ready ... Seriously - www.safecastleroyal.com

Russia Entitled to Use Nukes Preemptively

Never hurts to be reminded that Perestroika, Glasnost, the end of the Cold War and the beginning of a new age of global harmony were but a mirage ...

Russia entitled to use any methods, including nukes, to protect itself - chief of staff Baluyevsky

MOSCOW. Jan 19 (Interfax-AVN) - To protect its national security, Russia feels entitled to use any methods, including nuclear weapons, said Russian armed forces chief of staff Gen. Yury Baluyevsky.

"We are not going to attack anyone, but we believe all our partners in the international community should understand clearly and have no doubts that, in order to protect its and its allies' sovereignty and territorial integrity, Russia will use its armed forces, including nuclear weapons, and it can do it preemptively," Baluyevsky said at a scientific conference in Moscow.

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Get Ready ... Seriously - www.safecastle.com

Prep Like You Mean It!

At Safecastle, we've been working very hard for a good long while to pull together the best possible, comprehensive food packages we could arrange.

It feels great to have pulled it off, and to be able to now offer our buyers club members package deals that are really the first of their kind, to our knowledge.

In a Nutshell

The linked page lists a couple of brand new 6-module food packages that are by far the best deals we've ever offered in the area of prep food. (And you know that we offer the best deals out there to begin with.)

These two packages are calorie based, aimed at providing delicious, well-balanced storage foods that will provide all of what is needed to remain healthy and strong through periods of about 8 months and 12 months (over 2200 calories a day for those periods of time).

Just as important as the premier quality of the products in the packages, the 6 modules that make up each of these packages are paid for and delivered according to a schedule of your choosing, making them economical for most anyone out there, and totally fool-proof.

Bottom line--based on 2000 calories a day, these packages keep a person well-fed for less than $2.70 per meal. Consider that this food is money in the bank at that price, with the various product shelf lives averaging decades!

Given the continuing rise in food prices, these packages make sense every which way you look at them.

Please note that these listings are specially priced and posted for buyers club members only. No discount coupons apply, as they are already priced as low as they go. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Still need to join the club? It's a one-time fee of $19. Get it done right here.

Get Ready ... Seriously - www.safecastleroyal.com

Lou Dobbs for President?

Now this IS interesting ...


http://www.loudobbsforpresident.org/

Prepare in Order to Find Peace of Mind

A thank you to Lauren, an author who mentioned this to me yesterday during an interview we did in preparation for her book project.

Note that the general topic in the article below is fear vs. physical health. We always emphasize that folks need to prepare for threats out there in a logical, systematic way, and that the greatest benefit is not necessarily readiness, but peace of mind. Do it to ease your anxieties. If you can make that work for you, then you are in a very good place.

Living in Fear and Paying a High Cost in Heart Risk
By JOHN TIERNEY
Published: January 15, 2008

Excerpt:

“The fear response causes the heart to pump harder and faster, the nerves to fire more quickly,” Dr. Siegel said. “Excess triggering of this system of response causes the organs to wear down. For a person who is always on the alert, the result is a burned out body.”

It’s not fair to blame public officials alone for this fear epidemic. We in the news media have done our part to scare people. (More on how the “terrorism industry” distorts risks can be found at tierneylab.blogs.nytimes.com.) But since there hasn’t been an attack in America for six years, for domestic drama we’ve had to rely on dire predictions of politicians and security officials.

What if the alerts stopped? What if the security officials looked at this new medical evidence — or at their own perfect record of false alarms — and decided that the nation did not need to be in a perpetual state of yellow alert? What if they even decided that Americans could survive without any color at all?

I guess that’s a hopeless fantasy. No politician wants to be blamed for failing to anticipate a terrorist attack. No bureaucrats willingly abandon a system that keeps them employed.
But maybe these officials could be induced to take one more precaution. The next time they raise the threat level to orange or red, they could add, “Warning: Heeding this alert may be hazardous to your health.”


Get Ready ... Seriously - www.safecastleroyal.com

Foods Prices Continuing Upward Climb

Not that you necessarily have the wiggle room in your household budget, but it looks like you'd better plan to allocate more and more money to food expenditures.

Please click on the title below to view the article. There are many significant factors that point toward higher prices near term and beyond. (I'd be remiss if I did not point out the logic in this kind of market in locking in today's prices with long-term storage food.)

‘Panic Buying’ in the Grain Markets
Agriculture Sector Developments
by Joseph Dancy, LSGI Advisors, Inc. January 4, 2008

Excerpt:

In summary, we have record low grain inventories globally as we move into a new crop year. We have demand growing strongly. Which means that going forward even small crop failures are going to drive grain prices to record levels.

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Get Ready ... Seriously - www.safecastleroyal.com

Busy Times on the Ramparts and in the Tower

Safecastle is swarming with activity these days.

Membership continues to grow in our buyers club, and that's no surprise with the way things are going around the world. Not to mention the serious uptick in shelter purchases by folks who see the lengthening shadows.

But we've also got a few key initiatives keeping the lights on into the late night hours here.

One, we're reaching out into several major social networking sites on the web, taking our preparedness message and opportunities to whole new groups of people. It's interesting to "climb out of our bunker" to see what the world is up to at places such as Facebook and Second Life, to name just a couple. We'll have more to report on that in the future.

Two, we're in the middle of building a whole new webstore for our buyers club members that will be more intuitive and easier to shop. Needless to say, we're excited about that. We plan to be launching that baby in two to three weeks.

Three, perhaps most exciting for our customers ... we're almost ready to offer a first-ever program for food prepping that will knock your socks off. Can't say more than that at this point, but we will be going BIG with this deal.

Stay SAFE!


Get Ready ... Seriously - www.safecastleroyal.com