~ The Food Circle ~

Y2K FAST FOOD FACTS #2

Be Informed. Be Centered. Be Prepared.

We're Springing ahead.. But Will we Fall behind?

Remember Those Star Trek "Food Replicators"? Think that's only a Future Food scenario? Well, Just Take a Look at Just How Computers Interact with our Daily Bread Today..

Be Informed.

What does A Computer Glitch have to do with Food, anyway? Is this Y2K Thing for REAL? Modern agriculture and our foodsystem is highly dependent upon oil and the microchip; for the pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, fuel for the trucks and trains that keep the cities stocked with their two to three day supply of food. The fact is.

Computers Run Everything. Everything is Run by Computers. But the problem is much greater than the techno jargon, the dates, the embedded chips. It's about the sheer scope of the problem, the intricate, interconnected web of computers that interface the backbones of our economic and political networks all over the globe. It's about the Just-in-Time modern economy's inability to handle the Y2K crisis and the ripple effect of backword, non-compliant computers around the world. So how does this relate to food?

A Farmer and his Green Beans. A farmer sells his beans into the market--via computer--to a buyer who sends a truck--dispatched by computer--to ship to the processor, which--via computer--arranges the sales transaction. The processing center--via computer--sells to a wholesaler--via computer--well you get the picture. This example is taken from AWAKENING - The Upside of Y2K, by Judy Laddon, Tom Atlee and Larry Shook.

Extra Stress on an Already Vulnerable Food System. The foodsystem, even without Y2K is vulnerable. For more indepth discussion of this and sustainable options, visit www.foodcircle.com. Did you know that WYSIWYG applies to the Supermarket, as well as computer programs? WYSIWYG (What You See IS What You GET) is at term that applies to user friendly software like html programs that let you create the visual image you want in your webpage without having to know html language to do it. Well that sample principle applies to the supermarket! What does this mean? WHAT YOU SEE ON SUPERMARKET SHELVES IS WHAT YOU GET. What they've got at any particular time is pretty much all out there on the shelves in front of you. In other words, contrary to what we might think, most supermarkets DO NOT have a huge back up supply of food being stored in the back of the store. Each night or early in the morning, trucks bring new supplies from individual suppliers or the regional warehouse, all orchestrated, of course, by computers.

Furthermore, did you know that MOST AMERICAN CITIES HAVE ONLY A TWO TO THREE DAY SUPPLY OF FOOD? Quite an eye opener, in itself.

The 4-Legged Stool Analogy. A good analogy of Y2K's potential impact is our system as a stool, with one leg each for transportation, electricity, telecommunications, all run by computers, the fourth leg. The seat is finance. When one leg fails, the whole stool falls. Thus, a huge Ripple Effect.

The Evidence. On Dec 17, '98, Janet Abrams, Executive Director of the President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion, said that the US government anticipates "a large series of mild to moderate disruptions across the country. These are situations that in usual times you might be able to call on the state or federal government to help solve, but we are stressing to our local officials that they're going to have to take care of these problems on their own." "This is a concrete technological problem that has not been addressed in time. There aren't enough programmers or time left to fix it." Bill Grey, CNN article

The Sky is Falling! or "No Problem."? Earlier in the year it was common to say "no one really knows for sure"but now, it's becoming increasingly obviously that it's not just about a bump in the road. There will be disruptions. It's just a matter of HOW BAD will it BE? What do YOU Think? Your Conclusion? The Upside Of Y2K. Strange as it may seem, it's all happening for a reason. It's an Opportunity. An Opportunity to take a look at our lives, life on this planet, It's up to us whether it will end up being Social Chaos or Social Transformation. Listen to your gut, your intuition or the part of you that "just knows". Then Decide.

Be Centered.

Some Food for Thought. This is the Year. With all the talk lately about the YEAR 2000 and what may be happening, it's sometimes easy to forget that all of us are here and now, living in 1999. But besides that old--now REALLY getting old--AFKA Prince tune about Partying "Like it's 1999", how many people are really thinking about the significances of this banner year? 1999 is a very BIG year indeed. After all, how many of us are ever going to experience the end of a whole 1000 year cycle and the beginning of a New One? Now, while it's quiet and we're all in spring cleaning mode, is a good opportunity to take a look at our lives: where we've been and where we're going. From a food and health perspective Are you happy with your life? Are you feeling as good as you can? Are you eating for peak performance or just filling up on empty calories to appease your appetite? New research on aging, just reported by cardiologist Dr. Dean Ornish, confirms once again that eating and exercise are the two biggest keys to maintaining health, preventing disease and extending life. Eating healthier now can literally reduce your risk of degenerative diseases like heart attack and stroke, adding years to your life. Not just in quantity, but QUALITY of life. Why not make THIS year an awesome year, in itself?

This is The Year.. You'll find out what you're made of.. Your dreams could come true.. You'll get to know your neighbors.. You can find the REAL You.

Be Prepared.

We're happy to announce that the "Y2K and YOUR FOOD Booklet: "What are YOU Going to Be EATING in the YEAR 2OOO?and After" is now finished, hot off the presses and ready to go

Not normally a commercial podium, we've used this issue's "Be Prepared" section to tell you about this extraordinary value. Because this compact, 24-page, in-a-nutshell glance at "What IF and What to DO" for Y2K Food contingencies is a $5.00 bargain, packed with the basics anyone needs to know--not just to survive, but to be healthy and whole from here on in, as well.

This is one of those handy little purse or coat pocket booklets you'll want to have on hand, plus an extra copy or two to give or share with confidence to friends, employees, co-workers, others; people you care about who may not know how to deal with Y2K or where to start in preparing for what's just around the "turn-of-the-century" corner this New Year's. You could be a hero.

With "What IF and What TO DO" soup-to-nuts coverage of the WHOLE Y2K and Your Food subject -- on everything from "What does a computer glitch have to do with food?" -- to "What do I DO with all this storage stuff, anyway?" is a little lifesaver. Be Informed, Be Centered. Be Prepared. This booklet will tell you how.

The Y2K and Your Food booklet is available for $5.00 a copy online at www.foodcircle.com or toll free by calling 888-267-5294. You can also send a $5.00 check or money order plus $.55 cent SASE to Food Circle Associates, P.O. Box 363, Plymouth, WI 53073.

Better yet, consider becoming an Affiliate. Help us get this valuable booklet out to people who need it and earn $1.00 per copy. Or consider customizing the booklet with your business or organization's name as a no-panic promotional or educational tool for Y2K (and after) food health and security. Start today. Call Nancy Lee at 920-892-2455 or mailto: team@foodcircle.com for more information.

Next time: What Should I Do FIRST?

All statements made herein are Year 2000 Statements and are retroactively protected as Year 2000 Readiness Disclosures under the Good Samaritan Act.

-- Nancy Lee (nancy@foodcircle.com), April 07, 1999