Storing a reserve supply of food probably sounds incongruous to a lot of people. This is the age of plenty! They say. America is the breadbasket of the world! Why would anybody want to stash food away when there's an endless supply in the stores? We've always had plenty!

It would be nice if that was true, but it's not. It's true that America has achieved an unprecedented era of prosperity that our forefathers never even dreamed of. But along with prosperity, we've also become complacent - living from day to day and talking it all for granted. We figure life will just go on, getting better and better. Wrong!

At the start of the last century, every home had a well-stocked pantry. It was an essential part of the house, with shelves of canned fruits and vegetables, dried foods, flour and grains. Today, the pantry has disappeared to be replaced by a convenient local supermarket with burgeoning shelves of fresh food and freezers full of ready-to-go TV dinners and meals. But what would happen if deliveries to the stores are interrupted or cut-off? In a matter of hours the shelves would be empty! The average store has an average of 3 days worth of food.

It's time to wake up and face reality. Ask someone who's been through a natural disaster. All it takes is one devastating turn of the weather to turn a comfortable lifestyle into a nightmare, with utilities cut off, homes destroyed or barely livable, and what seemed to be an endless supply of food and water suddenly in such short supply that it's more valuable than gold. That's when we realize that a supply of food is a precious as life.

And if you're questioning the necessity for having a food reserve, take a minute and familiarize yourself with the state of the world - weather trends that cause drought or destroy crops - political unrest around the world - the continuous global growth in population - many international economies are on the verge of bankruptcy and depression. All of these could affect your supply of food. Disasters come in many forms…what if you had a financial crisis in your own family? Job security is a thing of the past. Almost every week a big corporation decides to lay off a thousand employees. Would your family survive?

Let's face it. It was easy to just NOT think about everyday life being anything other than "normal" and stable -- until 9/11. They said it wouldn't happen here, but it did. Since then many of us have come to really "get it" that life is anything BUT predictable. Here are some very compelling reasons for having a at least one-year Sam Andy food reserve and a home emergency preparedness strategy now.

1. YOURSELF -- In any major disaster, the FIRST person you're going to have to rely on is YOU -- NO ONE ELSE is in charge of, or responsible for seeing to it that you and your loved ones are well-prepared. Looking out for Number 1 is the best reason for storing food. Depending on the government, your church, or your friends is risky business. They can't take care of everyone.
   
   
2. THOSE CLOSE TO YOU -- If you have family or close friends, you have a duty help them in the event of a disaster (natural or man-made). That means being prepared IN ADVANCE for your extended family and friends!
   
   
3. LAYOFFS AND "DOWNSIZING" -- No one's job is "secure" these days. Daily reports of hundreds and thousands of cutbacks are common. 415,000 jobs were eliminated right after 9/11, resulting in a surge of widespread unemployment. That was the biggest one-month jump in joblessness since May, 1980. Unfortunately, the cutbacks haven't ended there and will continue to happen.
   
   
4. PEACE OF MIND -- A food reserve is "insurance you can eat." If you lose your job, get hurt, lose your income or simply can't make ends meet, you'll still have food on the table for your family and loved ones.
   
   
5. SOUND INVESTMENT -- One that you can EAT! A food reserve will not lose value over time, in terms of either nutrition or price. In fact, Sam Andy products have a shelf life of between 15 and 25 years! That means you buy tomorrow's food at today's prices.
   
   
6. YOU CAN'T EAT MONEY! You can't eat gold or drink oil. -- If (or perhaps WHEN) there is a global economic financial collapse, your money could be worthless. Even if you had a boatload of money, in the event of a natural or financial disaster, the grocery stores would be closed and people would hide food for themselves. Now is the time to secure a food supply for yourself and your loved ones.
   
   
7. MAN-MADE DISASTERS -- If all the millions of dollars the government is pouring into "Homeland Defense" have merit, we can presume the events of 9/11 are but a "wake-up call." The President has stated that, "this war against terrorism is just beginning." There will doubtlessly be other attempts to attack and harm American citizens. If food delivery is disrupted, you will be comfortable knowing that you have a Sam Andy food reserve on hand right in your own home.
   
   
8. CROP FAILURES AND FOOD SHORTAGES -- Whether it's caused by bad weather, insect infestation, or distribution problems resulting from man-made disasters, you'll be in good shape with your own Sam Andy food reserve.
   
   
9. INFLATION -- Food prices will increase, but with a Sam Andy Food Reserve on hand, you'll be secure knowing that you've got a great hedge against inflation!
   
   
10. HAVE YOUR OWN "DISASTER PLAN" IN PLACE -- Natural disasters happen with ever-increasing frequency. With your own food reserve and disaster plan, you won't have to wait until the Red Cross or National Guard can get to you.
    
    
11. SKYROCKETING FOOD PRICES -- In the mid-1960's, you could buy hamburger meat, 3 lbs. for $1.00; today, those numbers have about swapped places: 1 lb. for over $2.00. Real buying power has not seen an increase in over ten years. If you bought a Sam Andy food storage unit today, in five or ten years you'd still have delicious food at bargain basement prices. Sam Andy foods last 15 to 25 years plus.
    
    
12. NATURAL DISASTERS -- In the past ten years, we've seen an ever-increasing number of severe storms throughout every season, resulting in prolonged drought and crop failures. If the harvests are poor, shortages will result in higher food prices.
    
    
13. ONE OF THE BEST TOOLS FOR BARTER! -- In times of food shortages, your Sam Andy Food Reserve will be worth more than gold. With a Sam Andy food reserve and some extra on hand, you'll have a valuable commodity for trading.
    
    
14. LIGHTWEIGHT, EASY TO HANDLE AND STORE -- Just think, no refrigeration, no spoilage, and no waste. Best of all, a Sam Andy Food Reserve Unit that feeds two people for a year will fit neatly in a closet, under the stairs, or under the bed.
    
    
15. AFFORDABILITY -- You are buying TOMORROW'S food at TODAY'S lower prices. A Sam Andy reserve food storage program may never again be as affordable as it is today.
    
    
16. AVAILABILITY -- There's no time like the present to prepare for the future. NOW is the time to set up your Sam Andy Food Storage Plan before reserves run low, costs shoot up, or crop failures result in real food shortages.
    
    
17. YOU'RE ASSURED OF HAVING HEALTHY, WHOLESOME FOODS ON HAND when you need them. Sam Andy low-moisture foods are high in protein, as well as low in fats and cholesterol. Units are designed to give you the necessary daily combination of calories and protein for great meals and healthy bodies. No matter what happens, you'll have a year's supply right there in your home.
    
    
18. WE'VE MADE IT EASY -- If you've ever struggled to grow a family garden, fought insects off of your squash, or stood over a hot stove canning quart jars of your own produce, you know it is NOT fun! It's hard work! Making one easy decision and placing one simple order could spare you all this work and put a delicious one-year food reserve in your home, right NOW!
    
    
19. GREAT VARIETY -- Sam Andy now offers over 165 food choices from a wide assortment of your favorite foods, including meals as usual, and constant surprises for dinner.
    
    
20. ECONOMY, REAL SAVINGS -- With Sam Andy Foods, you get "just the real food" -- there are no pits, no peels, and absolutely no waste. It's 100% delicious, usable food. Just add water and cook.
    
    
21. NO WASTE -- 100% usable. You use every bit. Because you have portion control, you are using only what you need. Putting the plastic lids back on opened cans (one comes with every can) ensures that Sam Andy foods will remain fresh for six to 12 months without refrigeration, even after opening the can!
    
    
22. QUALITY CONTROL -- ONLY THE BEST WILL DO! -- The real difference in Sam Andy Foods is evident in the high quality, superior taste, dense nutrition, and low cost. Sam Andy Foods use only the best available ingredients, and are specifically "low moisture" ... meaning that only the water has been gently removed. All the good taste, all the flavor, and all the nutrition is locked into hermetically sealed cans that can store for up to 15 to 25-plus years.
    
    
23. PRE-PLANNING is already done for you. Every Sam Andy Food unit is carefully planned to provide your family with all the calories, protein, vitamins and minerals needed... anywhere from a few weeks or months, up to two years and more.
    
    
24. MEALS AS USUAL -- Every Sam Andy Unit includes a healthy choice of different foods so your family can enjoy variety and "Meals as Usual" (three tasty, well-balanced meals a day) without experiencing appetite fatigue.
    
    
25. A DEPENDABLE, ESTABLISHED NAME -- As one of the oldest and most respected suppliers in the low-moisture foods industry, Sam Andy has been a pioneer leader in the development and advancement of long-term food storage technology for over half a century.
    
    
26. CLIMATE IN CHAOS -- Warmer and wetter weather conditions caused by global warming will increase flooding in some areas and droughts in others. The effects of these weather patterns will be devastating for areas across North America, especially in high-risk areas such as the Great Plains, the Canadian Prairies, and the Great Lakes, as well as river basins like the Rio Grande, the lower Colorado, the Mackenzie and the St. Lawrence. We have already begun to see a rise in the number and severity of droughts and floods.
    
    * In 1993 the Mississippi River flood caused damages of up to $10-$20 billion, the Pacific Northwest floods in 1996-97 resulted in $3 billion in damages, and the 1997 flood in the Northern Plains caused $2 billion in damages.
    
    * The Great Plains are susceptible to extreme droughts, which can erode the soil and destroy crops.
    
    * Fire-exacerbated drought conditions ravaged Florida, California, and the Southwestern U.S., destroying more than 7 million acres of land. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientists reported that 2000 was the driest year on record for the State of Florida, and that the future is shaping up to be even drier still.
    
    
27. FOOD CROPS DAMAGED BY WEATHER CHANGES -- Floods and droughts made worse by global climate changes could threaten health conditions in ways other than just the spread of infectious diseases. They could damage crops, making them vulnerable to infections and infestations by pests and choking weeds, thereby reducing food supplies and potentially contributing to malnutrition.
    
    
28. POTENTIAL TRANSPORTATION SHUTDOWNS -- Even just the threat of truckers going on strike can cause store shelves of food to empty of stock almost overnight and the BULK of the food in our supermarkets gets there via big trucks. Supermarkets carry less than three days' supply of food.
    
    
29. THE WORLD'S POPULATION IS GROWING at an alarming rate. While we're losing agricultural lands to housing developments at the same time farmers are going bankrupt, the population of the world continues to rise due to people living healthier and longer. At some point in the not-so-distant future, there will be shortages of food simply because of the increased demand.
    
    
30. SAM ANDY HAS DEDICATED YEARS OF RESEARCH and dietary planning in order to determine the nutritional and caloric requirements necessary to maintain a healthy lifestyle and enjoy nutritious "meals as usual." The results of this are pre-planned units to fit any budget and any size family or group.
    
    
31. A SAM ANDY FOOD RESERVE IS NOT JUST "EMERGENCY FOOD." Many families use Sam Andy foods every day because of the great savings, lack of waste (no peels), perfect portion control, and because it's there when you need it. Generally speaking, Sam Andy foods are no different from foods used in everyday cooking, except that the moisture has been removed and that most products must be reconstituted before using. For many recipes, using Sam Andy low-moisture foods is actually easier and more exciting than traditional methods.
    
    
32. SAM ANDY ASSISTS YOU IN PLANNING YOUR FOOD RESERVE. With nearly half a century's experience in researching nutritional needs and dietary planning, Sam Andy provides you with advice to help set up the proper food storage plan for you and your family. Our comprehensive Cookbook and Food Storage Guide offer hundreds of recipes, calorie tables, and menu suggestions.
    
    
33. WE LIVE IN UNCERTAIN AND UNSTABLE TIMES. Whether disaster comes in the form of a natural weather emergency, a pink slip from the boss, loss of retirement income, or a personal health challenge, the ONE single most important thing you can do is to insure where your NEXT meal will come from in the event you are faced with a challenge to provide for your family. You can do this TODAY by stocking up with a Sam Andy Food Reserve.