A Message from Concerned American Farmers: "Prepare"

Our food system - from seed to table - is fragile. Potential disruptions of our food supply caused by the year 2000 computer bug (Y2K) highlight its vulnerability.

Food travels an average of 1300 miles from farm-gate to the dinner table. Urban areas have only 3 days supply of food in the supermarkets. Most food transactions are dependent on thousands of computer chips. Farmers rely on inputs of seeds, fertilizers, machinery, electricity, fuel and water to produce and harvest our crops and livestock. Food processors rely on automated systems to turn our harvests into consumer-ready products. Distributors, wholesalers and retailers depend on computerized systems to coordinate, transport, refrigerate, store and sell food products to consumers.

According to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, "Any interruption along this farm-to-fork chain can result in a direct loss to those who supply food. That can mean more expensive, less available, food supplies."

We believe that our response to Y2K should be neither panic nor procrastination, but rather, preparation. No one knows for sure if January 1, 2000 will be a 'bump in the road' or a widespread breakdown. As American farmers, we believe the responsible action is to prepare. It is important to make changes that are broadly beneficial to the community, farm, and food system, regardless of the uncertain consequences of Y2K.

Preparation for Y2K provides us an opportunity to shore up the vulnerability of our food system and make changes that will better enable farmers to keep the world fed - one community at a time ­p; and to make our communities more self-reliant in food production. As farmers, we believe that 1999 is not atime to 'run for the hills' but rather a time to head for our town halls to develop community-based strategies on how to keep our neighbors fed - both urban and rural - in event of disruption in food supplies.

We present the following ideas for consideration to prepare our farms and our communities for the year 2000:

1.Identify the resources and skills within yourself, your family and your community to grow, process and prepare food. A variety of skills will be needed to make the food system resilient to disruption. 2.Ask those with organizing skills to initiate community meetings to establish local contingency plans for food, security, energy and water supplies. 3.Identify neighbors who may need extra assistance during a food crisis - the elderly, those with special diet requirements, and the poor. Include them in planning a more resilient food system. 4.Establish individual and community gardens, provide classes in gardening and food preservation. 5.Develop a "Y2K Cookbook for Eating Locally" with the help of chef's, older folks, and local food editors. 6.Buy directly from local producers. Opportunities include joining a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm, keeping local farmers' markets open year round and supporting roadside stands. 7.Collaborate with public institutions (hospitals, schools, prisons) and private institutions (restaurants and grocery stores) to identify local food sources and encourage them to begin now to buy locally produced and processed foods. 8.Develop alternative water supplies, collection, storage and distribution systems. 9.Buy a little extra seed and plant an open-pollinated seed garden. Plant more storage crops and winter gardens. 10.Fix or replace computers and equipment not "Y2K compliant". Contact suppliers and customers about their preparations. Make alternate plans if necessary.

On Dec. 17, 1998 Janet Abrams, Executive Director of the President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion, said that the U.S. government anticipates "a large series of mild to moderate disruptions acrossthe country...These are situations that in usual times you might be able to call on the state or the 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 means it is up to all of us. We invite you to join with others in your community to build a more secure and resilient food system. A good first step is starting the conversation with your family and your neighbors. We wish you well.

Statement issued from the 19th Annual Ecological Farming Conference, Asilomar CA, January 23, 1999