The US National Grain Reserves Are Apparently Gone

empty-grain-reserves-silo

Apparently the United States has no national grain reserves anymore, none at all.

From a preparedness standpoint, if the supply chains of agricultural distribution become interrupted (or the crop cycle itself), there is little or no buffer for Americans to put bread on the table (or without significant cost).

The United States government once held vast grain reserves in silos across the country. Today our national grain reserves have apparently vanished, primarily due to deregulated global markets and globalization, and the 1996 abolishment of our national system of holding grain in reserve – which was gradually depleted until 2008, when the USDA decided to convert all of what was left into its dollar equivalent.

In other words, it’s all gone…


 
President Franklin D. Roosevelt first created a national grain reserve to help rally the price of wheat and to help American farms during the Great Depression.

It was designed to buffer the supply of grain in order to smooth its tendencies toward boom and bust. When grain prices rose above a threshold, supplies could be increased by bringing reserves to the market — which, in turn, would dampen prices. And when the price of grain went into free-fall and farmers edged toward bankruptcy, the need to fill the depleted reserve would increase the demand for corn and wheat, which would prop up the price of grain.

The stores were gradually depleted until 2008, when the USDA decided to convert all of what was left into its dollar equivalent. And so the grain that once stabilized prices for farmers, bakers and American consumers ended up as a number on a spreadsheet in the Department of Agriculture.
-latimes.com

 
Apparently it no longer made economic sense for the government to maintain a strategic reserve of food (grain) for the nation.

The reason I’m pointing this out to you is, first, to let you know that there apparently is no significant buffer like there used to be. Second, it’s another example how globalization has affected our own self-reliance as a nation. We’ve not only lost most of our manufacturing base to China and elsewhere, we’ve also given up on a national insurance policy of grain ‘reserves’…

That leaves it up to you to store your own reserves. Should the supply and/or distribution of grains (or any food) be disrupted by natural or man-made circumstances, the government will not be able to take care of you. YOU must take care of YOU.

Here’s an idea… Learn how to mill your own flour from wheat. It is NOT difficult.

Learn how to make your own bread from that flour. It is NOT difficult.

Procure your own supply of wheat. It is NOT difficult.

Choosing A Hand Grain Mill
Electric Flour Mill – for when there’s electricity…

Note: My experience has proven that you can make approximately 25 ‘typical’ size loaves of bread from wheat stored in one 5-gallon bucket. Do the math and figure out how much you need for your own home food storage.

How Much Wheat In A 5-Gallon Bucket? – Pounds, Calories, #Loaves Of Bread

61 Comments

    1. Actually it was another democrap, Billy Boy Clinton. Obummer just completed what Billy Boy started in 1996.

  1. Just another example of why people need to be responsible for their own wellbeing. Keep stacking and prepping, you can never have to many preps.
    For those who depend on the government for their food and shelter, life is going to get real painful in the near future.

  2. Food for thought, What would be secondary uses for all those emty grain silos??

    Refined sugar, rice, soy beans, wheat, molasses, are all shipped out in bulk along the largest inland sea port in the world, which is the Miss. River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. That said, Are there any emergency plans for the grains stored in the silos along the banks of the Miss. River in the event of a New Madrid quake?? If not there should be!!

    Off the subject a little, however it warrants discussion, the same area of the Miss River is one on the worlds larest concentrations of oil refineries, and chemical plants. If a New Madrid quake were to happen, all hell would break loose due to these sites and the connecting pipe lines that cris cross water ways and highways. The human toll would be enormous. This is yet another reason for those that live in South Louisiana to get prepared!!!

    Please help spread a few words of warning if any of you have friends or relatives that live in South Louisiana. I have!!

  3. Being Waatched–that rice in silos is a great idea.
    THEN the govt. would need a mandated class in school for ‘what to do with rice to not starve’. :-)

  4. You are getting there, but you have not arrived, respectfully saying. The government never owned the grain, the government never sold the grain, and the government never converted the grain into cash. Here is your arrival ticket, sir. Government, in any form, does not exist. It has never existed, does not exist today, and it will never exist. However, there are 42,000,000 evil, obnoxious, pampered, coddled, and weak minded Neanderthals called ‘Government Employees’ in this country. Sir, the overpaid, underworked government employees made the call to sell the grain to continue their salaries, benefits, and retirement packages. The government employees, of their own free selfish will decided, without asking you nor I, if it was better for them to get more, while we get less, and eventually may starve to death because of their self imposed largeness. Today, on the front page of the Victoria Advocate, Victoria, Tx., several business men have been arrested and charged with organized criminal activity for stealing $15,000,000 worth of grain. They will serve many years for their thefts, but the government employees that sold our grain for their gain will never be arrested, tried, or convicted of anything. In fact, they will never even be identified. They will live well, while we die, and there isn’t one damn thing a taxpayer can do about it, except to learn to forage. Period.

    1. May I correct you on that statement? There is something that citizens can do!! It hasen’r been done in well over two hundred years! It is to take up arms and take our country back to the moral principles that made this country what it once was!!

      1. I remember the days when our government at least pretended to plan ahead for a disaster or had a civil defense for it’s citizens. All that is coming out of Washington these days are laws and funding to arm federal law enforcement to confiscate and steal what resources people may have squirreled away if martial law is declared. It is obvious Washington’s priorities are controlling it’s subjects rather than helping it’s citizens. Great story and information, thank you for the up-date Ken.

      2. Being Watched, I understand what you are saying, but we both know that is not going to happen. For every one such as you, there are thousands that will never take up arms to defend anyone or anything: Except maybe to take our prep supplies because they didn’t take the time and make the effort to prepare for themselves. God help us all, we appear to be unwilling to help ourselves.

        1. If you ask me, it’s more important to know that even if the people did take up arms, it would be a blood bath on both sides–especially for the civilians.

        2. @Anonymous: You are correct, the military would mow us down like clover. And they would never shed a tear. It’s a lost cause as far as overthrowing the government, and even if we could, what the hell would we replace it with? Occasionally in history, something becomes so screwed up that it is beyond salvage. That is America today. thanks

        3. I doubt that the US military would kill US citizens taking the country back. Some would be willing, but I don’t think most would.

        4. The United States Military lives to kill and killing unarmed civilians is the highwater mark of their trade. Denying that tactical fact is absolute suicide. Please wake up and smell the cordite. Thanks

        5. Remember that our Independence was fought for and won by only 3% of the population at that time……..today I would suspect that a lot more then 15 million would be ready for a call to arms. Another aspect we have lost is the practice of having the political tar and feather events with a ride out of town on a post FOR PEOPLE LIKE THE CURRENT POTUS………maybe if that were re-instituted we would not even have to consider a armed takeover. But alas we are now a nation of shepple who will give up everything in order to get anything for FREE.

      3. In order for people to take up arms and do something they would need to turn off Dancing with the stars,The Kardashians,whatever sports program they were playing and put down their cell phone. Just not gonna happen friend.

    2. The 42M represent the government that we talk about. It’s easier to say the ‘government’, than say ‘the 42000000 government employee’s that make up our Government.’

  5. How much you want to bet China has ii along with all the gold from fort Knox!!!

  6. I just looked up what Canada has in stock & it is 221,000 bu as of 4 days ago. With a world view that is not much. Of course our harvest is very late this year. How much more will come off in bread quality is anyones guess. I hear that some wheat is sprouting in the swath & then it isn’t good for flour but goes to animal feed. Canada is a big exporter of wheat & if our crop is down it may affect world price unless another big exporter has a bumper crop. Years ago Canada always had a lot of wheat carry over from year to year but now the carry over is much less.

    I am so glad we live in an agricultural area & we can go to a neighbour or relative for our wheat. Sometimes the wheat is very clean & other times it has weed seeds in it. If so I just grind them too. The price is what the farmer gets @ the elevator so that is much less than store bought wheat. Last wheat we bought had weed seeds but he wouldn’t take anything for it because we had helped him for free a while before. Barter system in play.

  7. This is why they want our guns! For the upcoming food shortage! Our gooverment has betrayed us. It’s everyman for his self. Keep storing food and guns and ammo. And yes I have a bible in one hand and a 50 caliber in the other.
    Store food and move to a safe place, in the cities you will be rounded up like livestock and put in barry’s fema camp.
    may God help us!

    1. Oldman: I too and an old man and preach til I’m hoarse that bugging in, in the city is a death sentence. But nobody listens, and I’m out of patience to continue attempting to warn people. thanks

      1. Only 3% of the population of the colonies actually fought in the Revolutionary War. The patch on my hat says III% !!!

        1. @ Sgt Bill
          AHHHHHHH hell Bill, I though that III was that you are in the upper III% of the rich in the world…. HAHAHAHAHA
          Gata keep laughing my friends. :-)
          NRP

        2. Owning firearms does put me in the top 3% richest in the world NPR! I wouldn’t trade them for all the stocks in Soros’ safe.

        3. @ Sgt Bill
          Now ya see if you hade said you actually fought in the Rev-War we would have been impressed… LOL and don’t even think of pulling that “old” thing in this crowd. :-) 62 years young here, so nice try, ya young whippier-snapper. HAHAHA
          NRP

        4. @Sgt Bill: That is so 1776! The Patriots walked out the front door and joined the fight. The British had to send troops and munitions across the Atlantic in wooden ships. Lag time was approx. six months. Today, the enemy is not only at the gates, but at the door. We are outgunned, out watched, out smarted, out performed, out flanked, and in general just in one hell of a very big disadvantage to be picking a fight with the United States Government. It’s nothing short of fantasy to think that we could win or even break even. In fact it is stupid to even have the idea in our heads, especially since our veterans have shown no interest except to feather their own nest. This nation has ran its course and the end is near and nothing will stop it. 3% is a joke. And Sarge, if you don’t believe that, just wait until you are fighting half starved, out of ammo, cold, and lonely and then watch a C-130 Spectre Platform shown up on the battlefield. Respectfully, we lost our last chance at real freedom to electronic voting machines the first Tuesday of November ’12. That is the evening America died. That was the sunset when we denied our children the opportunity to die of natural causes. From here on a violent death awaits all, rather we resist or not. Because when it starts, it’s game on til every last gun owning America is a cold corpse stacked like cord wood in a mass grave. That is the truth and it will not change and neither will it be prevented, nor delayed. Thanks for your time.

        5. Who said we have to play by the rules. Look how well the folks in the Middle East do at defending their home turf. Look at the Vietnamese. They beat jets and choppers with bicycles and punji sticks. Don’t think we Americans won’t strap on bombs and walk into check points and leave surprises on the roadside. We may well be beat technologically, but those who can only fight with technology have problems when it fails. It is hard to defeat a determined people defending their homeland. We can die and we can suffer but we can inflict a lot of damage. And look! We look just like all the other Americans!

        6. @confused: We are not the Vietnamese. Did the Vietnamese walk into traffic while texting. Were they absorbed with Bruce Jenner? Was their racial conflict in Vietnam? Plus our military had to be shipped there, about 7000 miles, just to fight. Now they are here, and they know more about us than we know about ourselves.

        7. It is easier to find an army then it is to find one man. One man doesn’t have communication issues. Look how snipers operate. Gorilla warfare. Hit and run. Take a shot and let them chase you into traps. Just saying!!!

        8. Howdy Thor:

          This discussion, and your comment, reminds me of something I once read. There were many a British soldier that reported it wasn’t the militias, nor the regular army that defeated them. It was “those damn squirrel hunters with their long rifles and backwoods skills” that won the day. There are many folks in our country that are totally clueless, cell phone addicted, and completely out of touch with reality. But there is still a bunch of squirrel hunters out there too…

        9. It would have to play smarter than deciding one day to take up arms. But first you would need numbers. How many people are willing to stand together in a non violent movement to demand change in our government? How many would be willing to take their money out of the bank, out of the stock market, stop going to work and stop purchasing everything for three months. Of course you stock up on everything that you will need, and prepare ahead of time for it, but most preppers should be ready for this at anytime. If you had the numbers on your side, then you give the government the peoples ultimatum. If they do not agree to the peoples terms that is when the people do the things on the list. It wouldn’t take long for things to start crashing and the government to come around.
          I doubt the government could lock up 1/3 of the population and even if they did, then they would be causing the crash themselves.
          There are options, all it takes is for people to stick together.

        10. If people stopped going to work, then the President would sign an Executive Order placing the workers in the military and then ordering them back to work. If they didn’t: Ready, aim, fire. This has happened before. In 1948 Harry Truman gave the striking Railroad workers 24hrs. to return to work or be conscripted into the Army. They went back to work. thanks

        11. Believe me I don’t have rose colored glasses on this issue. And, I don’t advocate taking up arms against the gubment. However, history has a way of catching people by surprise. A katrina type event, plus economic meltdown, plus something else unforseen and then all bets are off to how things turn out. Remember the fall of the soviet union and how many people saw that coming one year before? How many shots were fired? There were some but not a whole lot against a highly equipped, ready to use military force regime. Just saying, I still stand ready to defend what is mine and my family and friends even if it requires my physical life.

        12. The illegals would take your jobs and work cheaper. That’s what they want anyway. Cheap labor higher profits. They want them to replace us. Its all a plan. Look at what they are trying to do with guns they are either trying to start a civil war or making us defenseless against an invasion. I am not sure yet which it is but it starts when they do door to door entrances. I think they are totally under estimating the American people. That’s what the British did too! Just a thought.

  8. It is interesting that the United States has become a country of consumers, in general of course. Of what we do produce a huge quantity is either given or sold (cheap) to other countries (foreign aid it’s called), all awhile we send our production jobs also to other countries. Our education systems are in shambles, we have zero Gold surpluses, oil and fuel reserves are at a minimum, foods, such as grains, are shockingly low or, as Ken points out, non-existent. We are laughed at by every country in the world, we continue to alginate our allies, we are importing thousands of dangerous “refugees” at the same time Barry is removing our rights as citizens. If one looks at our “inner cities” they resemble 3rd world war zones, social behavior is derogated to the point we have classes at Yale on how it’s “ok” and acceptable to be a “looter”.

    I do have a question, was that article “photo” of an empty grain silo or of Fort Knox? Just something to think about
    NRP

  9. Ive got grain,
    Whats mine is mine and will be destroyed if anyone tries to overrun me ant take it.

  10. This is the reason to stock your own reserves. When the government can’t feed its own, they will come looking for yours. Another good reason to hide or bury what you have on hand, don’t make it easy for them.

  11. Clinton got rid of the grain reserves, cheese/butter stock piles.
    In addition to grinding a lot of rare firearms at Anniston,Al Army Depot.
    A real POS…..

  12. The depleting of all grain dairy, rice, powdered milk and other commodities was political. A handful of corporation’s control farming in this country. Stable pricing was suited for family and small farms it made them possible. By destabilizing commodities prices farms failed corporation’s got bargain’s. the same corporation’s now control 80 to 90% of output. Plus commodity traders make huge money betting on the swings in price. These people own our government and pay the leaders in campaign contributions . It has nothing to do with money made on the sale of the wheat it was about destabilizing family farming for corporation’s and having the population at its mercy.

  13. It’s one thing to be alarmed, it’s another to be stupid. Those who let their fear cloud their judgement will not survive. Look for the truth before you let your blind hatred lay blame at the wrong feet…your “Golden Boy” Reagan gave it away

    Others experts say large government stockpiles are not only unnecessary, they are counterproductive. That includes John Block who, as President Reagan’s Agriculture secretary during the 1980s, went to enormous lengths to get rid of extra food: giving commodities to farmers as payment for idling land, offering surplus grain as a subsidy to exporters and holding cheese giveaways for the poor.

    “We shouldn’t have large reserves stacked up. It was very costly for us,” Block said, noting that for years he was accused by other nations of depressing their farm sectors by dumping extra U.S. food on world markets.\

    Source = ABC News

    1. I do not trust the judgement of experts from ABC News. That is laughable. I do trust my own judgement to have my own reserves and not rely on government stockpiles. I don’t care if the Dems or Repubs stopped it, any expert who says we shouldn’t have reserves is a complete idiot. Just my opinion.

    2. Reagan was an actor. The Devil himself George Bush and bankers have ruled since our last elected President Jimmy. As for famine, the herd needs culling if we are to get on with second middle ages.

  14. It seems to me the Government invested in Food Stamps these days, not grains when there is a national famine, or unemployment like there is now.

    1. That’s right. Instead of real food, they give EBT cards so they can buy whatever they want. When the real food turns to a food shortage, you can’t eat those EBT cards (or food stamps). But the stupid don’t have a clue about that little problem.

      1. And what bank is handling the EBT cards and profiting from it! Of course a member of the Federal Reserve Banking System JP Morgan Chase!!

        1. and another company that profits handsomely off of the EBT cards is Walmart

  15. The gov never actually stored the grain in their own facilities, there were programs to pay farmers to store the grain for them. All that private storage is still used on American farms and often has grain. As evidence, look up the stock ending reports for each month kept by the USDA and you will see carry-over for each month. As for me, I would rather have American grain in the hands of enterprising farmers than blundering gov officials. How did that FEMA exercise in New Orleans work out?

  16. This is what I thought of as I read this…..

    “When the Lamb broke the third seal, I heard the third living being say, ‘Come!’ And I looked up and saw a black horse, and its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. And a voice from among the four living beings said, ‘A loaf of wheat bread or three loaves of barley for a day’s pay. And don’t waste the olive oil and wine'” (Revelation 6:5-6

    1. I really believe the day of this happening is VERY close. Maybe not in my lifetime, but I think my children or grand children have a good chance of seeing the price of food become so high that only the rich can buy it.., and the poor will have to do “God knows what” to get their handout.

  17. As a true conservative I have to question why the Federal government is involved in stockpiling grain and offering subsidies to the farmer both corporate owned and private owned. I don’t say this to pick on the farmers as I don’t believe government should be in the business of manipulating anything to do with free enterprise. Now, if you make the argument that stockpiling grain is a national defense issue I might be inclined listen to that debate but still have my doubts.

  18. Just remember, anyone who stores wheat berries is storing seeds!

    For those who do not have large gardens, wheat can be grown “hidden in plain sight” because most people will think it’s a tall grassy weed. Learn what wheat berries you are storing and how/when to plant it. The winter wheat must be planted in the early autumn then allowed to cycle through winter before it resumes growing in the springtime.

    Please take time to learn how to grow and harvest your own wheat, then add the info into your binders or how-to booklets.

  19. I dont think stockpiling is a bad thing and this news is sad. And Im sure to most people are clueless to this fact just like I had been. I dont like government messing with shit, there should be a clear purpose for the stockpiling and clear rules what it is used for, and a piggy bank for cash should not be one of them.

  20. Me thinks we need to refill the silos while we still can. The more we have stored the longer all of us will live. I personally hope to die of old age with my shelves still stocked. The kids can figure out how to divvy it up.

    We’re getting trillions of gallons of water to irrigate with and we just let it run off into the ocean (after flooding poor souls out of their homes). Figuring that the possibility of “water wars” is more of a probability than a possibility we should be digging canals across the country. Water flows to the lowest point so some of these canals would have to be pretty darn deep or in tunnels.

    Where could we get the labor? Prisons are full of idle hands that could be working for their food. Just my thoughts and sorry if it is a bit of a ramble. At least it’s not a rant.
    And yeah NRP, he could give you lessons! HAHAHAHA

  21. To many of you fail to remember history as it was when many of our Nations finest prior to the Revelation had come to the new world to escape the many Tyrannies of Europe, especially that of England. They had left Their Homeland to forge forward in a new Nation of Opportunity.

    Let me Ask YOU How many are You today Smart enough To Pack up and go elsewhere to New lands of OPPORTUNITY. Personally I am doing my Voting with my Feet and My Family and I Are Moving to South America.. We’re NOT Going to End Up In SOME FEMA Camp Starved to death. My children aren’t going to die because of what I have taught them to believe. It is too easy to just Start Over again somewhere else and it has only taken us 1 ½ years to prepare to move the 5 of us. The tickets are bought and This Christmas we will be in our New home.. Immigrating is Easy,, Good Luck and Blessings to the rest of You from That EX PREPPER,,

    The Marks Family of Chicago

  22. “Our” government in my country out of nowhere dismantled our war-time food supply, so if something unexpected happens many of us will starve. Starving people are a lot easier to handle and you can get rid of them you don’t want to spare. This is a part och Zbigniew Brzezinski The Grand Chess Board.

    Good article BTW…

  23. ahhh – now it’s 3/9/2022 and just two weeks after russia has invaded ukraine and all the grain people (whoever they are) are saying we be having a shortage of wheat now & all the bread prices will rise. yes – & gas went up another 30 cents overnight even though we only get 3% petroleum from russia. the explanation being that everything is global now & even if we have enough the price will rise cause “the experts” are nervous. those “experts” are out for the blood – it’s money they see not tears.
    i came here just to check if america still has grain reserves – just to learn we no longer do. what idiot took them out? and how come no one cares until something goes wrong? humanity seems to never learn.

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