http://www.duluthnews.com/today/dnt/local/y.htm

November 24, 1999

Grocers seeing Y2K stockpiling

But experts say food distribution in Wisconsin shouldn't be affected

By Peter Maller

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Everyone from distributors to grocers to state officials monitoring Y2K preparedness says there will be plenty of food on store shelves on Jan. 1.

But that hasn't stopped some Wisconsinites from stockpiling dried beans, grains, dehydrated vegetables and other food items, bulk food store owners across the state are saying.

``We've got customers telling us they expect grocery stores to run out of food if the transportation system goes haywire,'' said Arthur Kauffman, who runs Kauffman's Country Store, a Beloit-area business doing a brisk trade in 50-pound sacks of rice and wheat flour.

Powdered eggs and cheese, dried fruit and vegetable chips, cooking oil, whole-grain cereals and cases of bottled water are all popular among those that envision major problems at the turn of the century.

Five-gallon plastic pails with lids, marketed as protection against rodents, are selling too. And some food dealers are selling oxygen-absorbing chemical pellets they claim can prevent mold and insect larvae from contaminating food being stored.

``We had two orders a few days ago that totaled $3,000 between the both of them,'' Kauffman said. ``I think there's been kind of an overreaction.''

Dale Seidel, administrative officer at the state Division of Emergency Government, said Wisconsin residents can expect no appreciable disruption in food distribution because of Y2K. A study by the governor's Blue Ribbon Commission on Year 2000 Preparedness found little reason for concern, he said.

``There is nothing to fear,'' Seidel said. ``People should prepare as if they were preparing for an emergency during any Wisconsin winter. They should have as much food on hand as they would have to ride out an ice storm.''

The chance that supermarkets might run low on supplies is next to nil, added Brandon Scholz, president of the Wisconsin Grocers Association, which represents most state wholesale and retail food sellers.

Industry officials have spent two years examining and preparing for any possible Y2K glitches, said Scholz, who also is co-chairman of the state's agriculture subcommittee dealing with the Y2K issues.

``Wholesalers in the state -- the major ones, like Piggly Wiggly, Roundy's and Kohl's -- their inventories will be at a peak,'' he said. ``Even if there was a major run on stores, like there have been runs on banks, the industry is ready to meet even that type of demand.''

Still, some people aren't taking any chances.

``Some clubs have been coming with big rental trucks and stocking up tremendous quantities,'' said Aaron Larson, member services coordinator for North Farm Cooperative in Madison, a supplier to about 3,000 natural food stores and buying clubs in 13 Midwest states. ``We've had people fill up with $2,200 worth of wheat berries.''

Wheat berries, which can be ground into flour, can be stored for several months without losing their nutritional value. Besides bulk food, some customers have purchased large quantities of vitamins, medicinal herbs, soap and laundry detergent, Larson said.

Several buyers even have shown up at North Farm's warehouse toting three-ring binders packed with information on how to survive a disaster.

``They're expecting people to riot in the streets,'' Larson said.

Jean Henke, who organizes a Wauwatosa-based food-buying club, said members are definitely stocking up for Y2K.

The 30 families in the Parkway Pantry Buying Club belong to evangelical Christian churches in the Milwaukee area. While members are preparing for the worst, they also believe much of what happens on Jan. 1 is out of their control, she said.

``We are guided by two (religious) teachings,'' Henke said. ``The first is that not to prepare would be a mistake. The second would be that our preparations are not going to help us.''

-- Uncle Bob (UNCLB0B@Tminus37&counting.down), November 24, 1999

Answers

"They should have as much food on hand as they would have to ride out an ice storm."

The ice storm in upstate NY and the Montreal area two years ago took 8 weeks to recover from. How soon they forget...

-- mdecker (decker@flowmgt.com), November 24, 1999.

Thanks Uncle Bob!!

Happy Thanksgiving ;-)

-- karla (karlacalif@aol.com), November 24, 1999.

Safeway here has a wall of TP when you
enter the store. They installed another
level of shelves for bulk items.

-- spider (spider0@usa.net), November 24, 1999.

"Even if there was a major run on stores, like there have been runs on banks, "

Odd, I've recently read several articles in which it is vowed, "Gee, no runs have been noticed yet."

Hmmmm?

-- Paula (chowbabe@pacbell.net), November 24, 1999.

Report from Sams Club.

Normal crowd. The older clientel had the multipacks of toilet paper. The others had the normal Thanksgiving stuff. Hhhmmmmm maybe there is wisdom in having living and seen more.

Speaking of multipacks of toilet paper there inventory is a bit down. The last couple of weeks the toilet paper pallets stuck out in the aisle. The other canned goods looked business as usual.

The sheeple are asleep, will be asleep until late December.

-- squid (Itsdark@down.here), November 24, 1999.

They still don't understand, do they?

<>

IT ISN'T Jan 1 that could cause delays and problems on the shelves --- IT'S JAN 05 -> JAN 10 -> JAN 15 that will cause problems if distribution erros and disruptions occur.

Of course, Jan 01 (unless people panic on Dec 28 because they are unprepared!) will still have stuff - nobody is shopping on Dec31! And Jan 01 the stores are closed because of the holiday.....

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Marietta, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), November 24, 1999.

Posted elsewhere:

I have an anecdote to offer, but it does not mean that it is indicative of any movement of the so called herd. I was picking up a few last minute things for Thanksgiving dinner late last night (after midnight) and I overheard a conversation between the guys doing restocking. They were complaining that all the Y2K buying has made more work for them. While they didn't want to discuss it with me (they didn't want to talk Y2K with me), I did notice that in the past... there is only one or two people doing the restocking in the early hours, now there seems to be a half dozen people loading shelves up. Of course, this might only be due to the Thanksgiving rush.

Sincerely,
Stan Faryna

Ready for Y2K? Got 14 days of water, food, way to keep warm and cook?
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Cooperative Preps : Have you checked out the deals we can get on  preps?

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Water filters for less than suggested retail
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Gas masks, potassium iodide, solar ovens, etc
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-- Stan Faryna (faryna@groupmail.com), November 24, 1999.

My friend is the manager at the local Sav A Lot. I noticed when in the store this week that the cans goods which normally are stocked at my chin level from the floor up (I am 5'2") were now below knee level. I asked her about this and she said they can not keep can goods. They no sooner get them on the floor, then they are out the door.

The other thing she said was her supplier asked if the store had enough space to stock two months worth of food. They were told there might be distribution problems. Unfortunately, this store does not have that kind of space for storage.

-- Linda A. (adahi@muhlon.com), November 24, 1999.