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America
must have an uninterupted source of food. What special concerns do people working
in Agriculture have in regard to Y2K?
What does a farmer or rancher need to do?
Since the 1950's, agriculture has traveled the technical highway of newer, more
productive hybrids, increasingly automated methods of production, and global market
economics.
Together, these changes have allowed agricultural
producers to become increasingly more efficient. Today, fewer people produce more food for
the world economy than at any time in our history.
While such an enormous economic and demographic shift has generally benefited the nation
at large, an equally greater burden has been placed upon already stressed human,
financial, and natural resources. Complicating this picture is the technical
infrastructure of modern agriculture that has largely come into being unnoticed.
The modern mega-industry of greater agribusiness is a conglomerate of new hybrids,
automated feeder operations, sophisticated machinery, GPS (Global Positioning Satellite)
based farming equipment, specialized chemicals, world markets, and about everything else
agriculture was not in the year 1900. Our pioneer forefathers would stand astonished at
the progress we've made!
Agribusiness as we now know it today, is all of those things and more. When the ground has
been tilled by computer engineered and manufactured machinery and fertilized with precise
amounts of fertilizer, after the hybrid seeds have been planted and nature has had her
way, even after the harvest is in—there is still a lot more involved with
agribusiness.
Before and after everything it takes to grow the crops or raise the livestock to market,
international banking is involved. When the agri-product leaves the land, it is first put
in a storage facility that is computer monitored and to an increasingly greater extent,
operated. From there, it must be shipped by truck or by rail to processing plants hundreds
or thousands of miles away.
The trucking industry today is highly computerized. From dispatch and billing to the
purchase of fuel and communications, trucking will feel the impact comign with Y2k.
Railroads depend upon over 2,000 switches in this country alone to run in a timely manner
and without incident. Each one of those switches is computerized and syncronized to the
microsecond. They really could be switched manually with crowbars as some have actually
suggested, but traffic would slow down immensely. Imagine people pushing their cars to
work. Some folks might get there eventually, but…
The plant at the end of the line is likely to be even more computerized than the step
before it. Several plants, and shipping between them is often involved before a
'consumable' product is in package form. Don't forget now, all along the way, payrolls
must be met, workers must move to and from work, and international banking is involved all
along the way, as are taxes, communications, lots of utilities, fuel requirements…
You get the idea. Now think about the global implications of all that for a minute—or
two.
Agribusiness is a mega-business today. The role modern technology, and computer technology
plays, and the potential implications of Y2K in all of agribusiness is equally as large.
As the year 2000 approaches, efficient producers must have one vigilant eye upon events in
Washington and the world, and one on the weather map and rain gauge. Only well-informed
and carefully calculated Ag ventures will weather today's climatic, economic, and
technical challenges.
Like other highly computerized industries, agribusiness will have Y2K related
interruptions, some likely to be of major consequence. How agribusiness emerges from its
Y2K experience will largely depend upon its preparedness. Whatever shape it is in, it will
continue to effect every human being on earth.
This page will be of immense interest to consumers (who want to be sure the scanners work
at the grocery store, and that there is something to pass over them), as well as to
producers of America's food. In the city, as well as on the farm, people are going to need
an uninterrupted supply of food, and the financial ability to procure it in order to
survive.
For a good introduction to the far reaching effects of Y2K specifically as they apply to
agriculture, follow the Westergaard link to a thought provoking article called, "Y2K and
Agriculture: Potential Effects and Consequences", written on April 15, 1998, by
John Yellig, an internationally recognized authority on Y2K. Among other things, Yellig
tells how
international disruptions in world finance and other seemingly more removed systems can
effect agricultural production and distribution processes.
Get a quick, first look at Y2K from an agricultural perspective by following this link: http://www.mda.state.mn.us/DOCS/COMM/y2kpiece.htm
After you have read what Yellig has to say, take a look
at what Michael Schommer has to say in his article, "Y2K presents problems for
agriculture industry". It comes through the
Minnesota Department of Agriculture Communications, so it can be considered to be an
authoritative and reliable source. This article reinforces what was already said by Yellig
and begins to go the next step with Y2K to steps in preparation.
Now, to put a cap on all that information, The people at @gInnovator Online
Agricultural are an 'all-around good' source for lots of great information. This is
their look at Y2K from their tech site.
In the previous articles, several aspects of agribusiness are identified as having
potential Y2K related difficulties with the turn of the century. For the family farmer or
rancher, those
difficulties can originate with the operation's desktop computer, an automated feeding
system, an important source of supplies, the food processing plant down the road, or one
of several links in trucking or rail distribution systems involved.
Some operators will begin their Y2K remediation for the family farm with a 'hands on'
approach. Some equipment may actually need to be replaced or adjusted. Identifying
potentially faulty equipment however can be difficult.
A great checklist come from the Farm and
Country page. It can be printed, and you and your wife can sit at the kitchen table
for awhile to think Y2K through more thoroughly.
If there are concerns about actual computer hardware or software, a local consultant can
be very helpful. One guide to some problematic systems is offered on this site from a
vender in Lemmon.
For the agribusinessman looking for hidden problems in 'automatic', or other technically
based agricultural equipment, a helpful service offered by the South Dakota Extension
Services Page. It has a brand new Y2K page that has an agricultural
database. You can enter equipment into it and check for its Y2K compliance status. You
may also click here to enter the South Dakota Extension Services home page for lots of
helpful information about Y2K and other things. Nifty!
Take a critical look at the financial structure of your operation. Go in and talk to your
banker personally. Let him or her answer your questions and help you make arrangements.
Arrange ahead of time for available emergency operating capital or other financial
assistance if needed. Then, cut expenses as much as possible, and minimize your debt
exposure wherever it can be.
With advanced notice, most Y2K failures can be worked around with good information, time,
and thoughtful contingency planning. After all, Y2K failures have been compared to taking
a step backwards in time a few years. If something fails you bought last year, chances are
you can live without it. The farther back in time you have to step however, the harder it
is. I find it usually requires some prepared and big adjustments.
Whew! After all that, I at least, am ready for a little whipped cream. This link to the
Co-Intelligence Institute
will take you to some other links that will take you to supply
sources for all manner of useful and not-so-useful stuff. Sometimes it does get a little
strange out there, but some people will like this site a lot.
As information has continued to roll in, this commentator
has had to make a shift in his approach to Y2K commentary. Prior to February of 1999, I
have believed that catastrophic (life threatening), Y2K failures would be avoided for the
most part in this country. At this point (02/08/1999), I must formally state that it is
this commentator's belief that Y2K failures combined with other global conditions will
result in catastrophic events globally, and on unprecidented proportions within the United
States.
Short and long term power outages are now likely to
occure. This will mean the loss of electric wells, heaters, home appliances, some
emergency systems, etc. Plan for power outages. Since a power outage is a power outage, a
short term plan can be stretched to some small extent. And, my best
advice is to be ready to stretch it.
If power outages are significantly long (a week or more),
ripple effects will effect the fuel and transportation industries. Figure a month to six
months without predictible deliveries of farm supplies including fuel. Make your storage
count. You can always use it up later.
Since Y2K will take place in the dead of what will
likely be a cold winter, all due precautions must be taken to prevent human and livestock
casualties.
Plant a garden. You raise food for the world. Raise a
little extra for your family, friends, church and community. They might well come asking.
(And put away extra hay if you can.)
Agriculture can expect Maximum effort from the
government. This nation needs food and FEMA, the President and congress all know that.
Protecting agribusiness during a national emergency is of the highest priority, with and
not below national defense. Plan for the time before relief can arrive. Network with your
neighbors. Get some horses. If you have a few head on the place, make friends with them
too.
If your farm or ranch is close (one tankful of gasoline
and walking distance) to a large metropolitan area (100,000 or better), you must consider
security for your operation. In the mid-west, violent outbreaks in cities are still
infrequent when compared with coastal cities. Though infrequent however, they are
increasing.
If people in cities have to leave because of any reason,
where will they go? If they need something in a life and death crisis, will they be likely
to ask or demand? Although this commentator still has a problem the short term vision of
many survivalist tactics, I make no tangible advice past excersizing 'reasonable caution,'
whatever that is for each thoughtful, and prayerful reader.
With that said, everyone will depend upon agribusiness
for their survival, as they do now without thinking about it. This will provide
agribusiness with the opportunity to be an assist to his or her fellow human family, or
make a profit when the time for profiting comes. I pray this nation can find a balance
where as individual parts of the larger human family, we can emerge from the coming times
in better shape as humans than we are going into it.
This is an ongoing project, and necessarily changes as
progress or lack of it is revealed. The agribusiness section of this document is still
being researched and under construction. Please have patience with its development, and contribute when or if you possibly can.
Until more can be done for this section, a few links will be included here, but you can
also
use the agricultural links section to get a great deal more in depth information.
Development of this vital section will proceed as quickly as possible. Thanks for your
patience. David J.
Durick, Djd, Copyright © 1999.
A Few Interesting Links For Agriculture:
Here is a website called 'Willitwork.com'. It bills itself as, "The world's largest
search
engine for Y2K compliance contact information. You simply type in the specific equipment
you are concerned about, or the category or equipment it would fall into. It gives you
back a list of companies with contact information, or an email address for additional
information. http://www.willitwork.com/
"Breaking the World's Food Chain: Agriculture and Y2K:" from CBN News:
http://www.cbn.org/news/stories/981005.asp
Delve deeper into the agricultural perspective on Y2K from the USDA:
http://www2.hqnet.usda.gov/aphis/FSWG/faq.html#1
This link will take you to Farm and country’s page for some very useful information
from a trusted source.
http://www.agpub.on.ca/as_5y2k.htm
This site is not as helpful as some, but it is from the USDA, so some folks will want to
know what they have to say. Year 2000 and the Food Supply information from the USDA: http://www2.hqnet.usda.gov/aphis/FSWG/
Ted Danberry has a website billed as "Ted Danberry's Y2K Links". It is that, and
a good deal more. If you want an itemized list of things to buy before 1/1/2000, this one
is of a more personal nature, and designed for individuals, but it is thought provoking
and includes everything from absolute essentials to toothbrushes, and extra pencils. Do
not miss it. http://www.y2klinks.net/
This is a bare bones guide to agricultural extension groups from a group in Nova Scotia.
It can be helpful if organizing an area is your particular goal. http://agri.gov.ns.ca/y2k/termsref.htm
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