Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/299079
If there is one thing most people take for granted, it is food. U.S. su- permarkets are always well-stocked, and we don't think much about how all that food gets there. I wa - ger most of us assume there are huge warehouses somewhere filled with enough food to feed the na - tion for some unknown pe- riod of time. Truth is, as a nation we have little to no warehous- ing backup in the event of a supply shortage. Our con- centrated supermarket supply system uses a tech- nology known as Just-in- Time, a method made pos- sible by computers and the Internet. Here's how JIT works: Instead of every supermar - ket needing a warehouse to store large quantities of food to be sold locally, com- puters keep track of inven- tory, placing rela- tively small orders daily. This pre- cludes the need for massive warehous- ing. Retailers know their orders will ar- rive "just in time" to keep the shelves filled. Why should we con- cern ourselves? The sys- tem seems to be work- ing really well. Most peo- ple buy food for one week or less. Multiple trips to the market allow us to en- joy fresh food without the hassles of having to man- age reserves. The integrity of the food supply system never crosses our minds. I had a conversa - tion with an executive of Costco. I asked him how long a Costco ware- house club's inventory of food would last if sud- denly there were no more shipments of food. He hy- pothesized that the shelves would be empty within three to five days. The man - ager of my local Vons supermarket con- firmed with a similar "less than a week" re- sponse. Now imagine that some- thing happens to make the typical American want a food reserve. This could happen if we were to ex - perience hyperinflation. As people see food prices escalating beyond reach they would rush to buy and hoard reserve food while it is still within their price range. Imagine: The demand for food wo ul d q uin tu pl e o r m or e within a short time and shoppers would see empty shelves in the market, fur - ther stimulating panic buy- ing, just as in a hurricane or blizzard. The best thing we can do to protect ourselves and our families is to pre - pare. The more food you have in storage, the less dependent you are on a system that some theorize has only a 3-day supply in its distribution chain. I tell you this not to cause you to panic, but to move you to - ward action. Start small. Buy a few more of the items on your regular shopping trip. If you would normally pick up four cans of green beans, get six. Instead of one bottle of honey, get tw o. B ut i f i t' s o n s al e, get four. For a normal short- to mid-term storage inven - tory, you should stock up on the foods that you are used to eating. Taking control of your family's food resource is empowering and satisfy - ing. The more you grow your food supply, the less dependence you'll feel on others. The more non-per - ishable food you have in re- serve, the better you will sleep at night. Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com, a personal finance member website. You can email her at mary@everydaycheapskate. EvEryday ChEapskatE When it comes to the food supply, don't be scared, be prepared Today Red Bluff Alzheimer's and dementia support group: 6 p.m., Las- sen House, 705 Luther Road, 529-2900 Childbirth Class: 6:30- 8:30 p.m., St. Elizabeth Community Hospital, Co- lumba Room, 529-8026 Cribbage Club: 6 p.m., Cozy Diner, 259 S. Main St., 527- 6402 first five Tehama: 3-5 p.m. Tehama County De- partment of Education, 1135 Lincoln St. fun Senior Aerobics: 8-9 a.m., $1 per class, Commu- nity Center, 1500 S. Jackson St., 527-8177 International Order of the Rainbow for Girls: 6:45 p.m., Masonic Hall 822 Main St. 527-6715 PAl Kickboxing: 6 p.m., 1450 Schwab St., 529-8716 or 200-3950 Penny Bingo: 9:30 a.m., Community Center, 1500 S. Jackson St. Pinochle for Seniors: 12:30-3:30 p.m., 1500 S. Jackson St., free, 527-8177 Red Bluff derby Girls open tryouts and practice: 6:30 p.m., Tyler Jelly building, Tehama District Fairground Red Bluff Rotary: noon, Elks Lodge Take Off Pounds Sensi- bly - TOPS: 10 a.m., First United Methodist Church, 525 David Ave., 824-0556 or 529-1414 Tehama County Board of Supervisors: 10 a.m., board chamber, 727 Oak St. Tehama County Tea Party Patriots: 6 p.m., Grange Hall, 20794 Walnut St. Veterans of foreign Wars Post 1932: 7 p.m. Veterans Building, Oak St. Weight Watchers meet- ing: 9 a.m., 485 Antelope Blvd., #N, 1-800-651-6000 WWe self defense train- ing for women: 5:30-7 p.m., 1005 Vista Way, Ste. C CORnInG City Council: 7:30 p.m., City Hall, 794 Third St. dance with Juana: noon to 1 p.m., Family Resource Center, 1488 South St., 824-7670 disabled American Vets: 7 p.m., Veterans Memorial Hall, 1620 Solano St. eSl class: 9 a.m., Family Resource Center, West and South streets, 824-7670 Jewelry beading class: 9:30 a.m., Family Resource Center, West and South streets, 824-7670 Soccer training: 4-6 p.m., except for holidays and rain, Woodson School Soccer Field, 150 N. Toomes, 824- 7680 GeRBeR Tehama Cemetery dis- trict: 4 p.m., cemetery office, 7772 Woodland Ave. Los Molinos School Readiness Play Group: 10-11:30 a.m., up to 5 years, free, First Steps Family Resource Center, 7700 Stanford Ave., 384- 7833 Wednesday Red Bluff Adult Carving Class: 10 a.m. to noon, Red Bluff Vet- erans Memorial Hall, Corner of Jackson and Oak streets, 527-0768 Al-Anon: noon to 1 p.m., Presbyterian Church, Jef- ferson and Hickory dance with Juana: noon to 1 p.m., Family Resource Center, 1488 South St., 824-7670 nurturing Parenting dads Program: 10 a.m. to noon, 1860 Walnut St. #D, Shasta Room, call Keith at 527- 8491, ext. 3012 nurturing Skills for Teen Parents: 9-10 a.m., 1900 Walnut St., 527-8491, ext. 3012 PAl Martial Arts Women's Self defense: 5:30-6:30 p.m., 1005 Vista Way, Ste. C, 840-0345 Penny Bingo: 9:30 a.m., Community Center, 1500 S. Jackson St. Red Bluff derby Girls open tryouts and practice: 6:30 p.m., Tyler Jelly building at Tehama District Fairground Red Bluff Kiwanis: noon, Elks Lodge Senior dance: 7 p.m., Westside Grange, Walnut Street Soroptimist International of Red Bluff: 5:30 p.m., Community and Senior Center, 1500 S. Jackson St., siredbluffclub@yahoo.com Team Kid: 5:30 p.m., First Southern Baptist Church, 585 Kimball Road, 527- 5083 TeenScreen Mental Health Appointments: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., free by appointment only, Youth Empowerment Services, 1900 Walnut St., 527-8491, Ext. 3012 Tehama Coffee Party loy- alists: 6 p.m., Cozy Diner 259 Main St. Waterbirth Class: 6:30 p.m., St. Elizabeth Com- munity Hospital Columba Room, 529-8026 Weight Watchers meet- ing: 5:30 p.m., 485 Antelope Blvd., #N, 1-800-651-6000 Widowed Persons Break- fast: 8 a.m., call 384-2471 for location Y-fI Middle and High School Youth Group: 6:30- 8 p.m., North Valley Baptist Church, 345 David Ave., 527-0543 CORnInG Corning Rotary: noon, Rolling Hills Casino, Timbers Steak House, 2655 Barham Ave., corningrotary.org exchange Club member- ship meeting: 7 p.m., Iron Skillet latina leadership Group: 9 a.m., Family Resource Center, West and South streets, 824-7670 nutrition Classes: 12:30-2 p.m., West Street FRC, 824-7670 Calendar FundraisEr PHOTO COURTESY OF LAURENCE G. D'ALBERTI Picture taken from the Walgreen's parking lot on South Main Street in Red Bluff on Saturday during the Red Bluff Fire Department's Fill the Boot fundraising drive. FIREMEN: 'FILL THE BOOT' Mary Hunt www.lassenmedical.com lassenmedical.com 2450 Sister Mary Columba Drive Red Bluff, CA 96080 530 527-0414 Lassen Medical For the Expected, Unexpected and Everything in Between 530-527-0727 243 So. Main Street Join Us for an Inspirational Leadership Event Wednesday, April 16, 2014 The Refresh Leadership Live Simulcast is your opportunity to come together with other members of our business community to learn more about the principles of great leadership. TO REGISTER, VISIT REFRESHLEADERSHIP.COM/LIVE 716 6 TH St, Corning 530-824-4546 Family business, owned & operated DOMESTIC & EUROPEAN AUTO REPAIR Certified Mechanic Smog, Brakes, Diesel Smogs, Oil Change, Transmission, Alignment & More flyingaperformance@att.net FLYING Crossroads Feed & Ranch Supply 595 Antelope Blvd•530-529-6400 www.Shopcrossroads.net Jeans $ 20 .00 off - Mention or Present coupon - $ 10 .00 off Jeans 530-366-3166 www.redbluffdodge.com 545 Adobe Rd., Red Bluff, CA RANDAL S. ELLOWAY DDS IMPLANT DENTISTRY 2426 SO. MAIN ST., RED BLUFF 530-527-6777 Ask yourself the following questions: Are you missing one or more of your natural teeth? Do you have a complete or partial denture that is no longer completely comfortable? Have you ever been embarrassed by a denture or a bridge? If you answered "yes" to one or more of these questions, call us today at (530) 527-6777 to schedule an evaluation appointment. We would be pleased to evaluate your oral health and discuss treatment options with you. FACT SHEET ON DENTAL IMPLANTS DENTAL IMPLANTS: * are the most advanced tooth replacement system ever devised *help preserve jawbone to prevent the appearance of premature aging *look and function like natural teeth *are placed/restored in the doctor's office with minimal discomfort *improves comfort, appearance, speech * have a 95% success rate * allow you to eat the foods you love and talk, laugh and smile with confidence * represent a conservative treatment option-- adjacent teeth are left untouched * never develop decay * can provide great stability for lower denture * can completely eliminate the need for a denture * can help people of any age * give patients a third set of teeth that are natural looking and very long-lasting LIFESTYLES » redbluffdailynews.com tuesday, april 22, 2014 » MORE AT fACeBOOK.COM/RBdAIlYneWS AND TWITTeR.COM/RedBluffneWS a5