Early last year, we reported that the federal government was quietly stockpiling millions of emergency meals, tying up so much capacity that consumers were reporting shortages in the stores.

Now the feds are doing it again.

On July 12, FEMA published a 33-page solicitation document inviting vendors to put in a bid to produce "an indefinite quantity" -- but up to 17,500,000 million units -- of survival meals. Here's an excerpt from the official documents:

According to the official documents, chosen vendors should be prepared for multiple orders to come in over a period of time, and delivery could be required to multiple locations. In other words, the government is saying, "We may need millions of meals, on multiple occasions, and in different places."

Vague as it is, it's nonetheless chilling. What do they know that we don't?

I can think of at least 3 scenarios that the government may be quietly preparing for...

Last month, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich wrote an op-ed piece for the Washington Post about the effects of an EMP event. Whether from an enemy weapon or a naturally occurring solar flare, an electromagnetic pulse would devastate the national power grid, with repairs taking months or years to complete. With the grid down, civilization as we know it would come to a grinding halt.

Gingrich is one of the few political insiders working on this issue -- and it's possible that his ongoing efforts have finally gotten some attention from FEMA.

Remember, if the grid goes down, the U.S. food distribution system literally grinds to a halt. With just 3 days' worth of food in any given community, we depend on electricity to run gas pumps to fill the trucks that carry food from farm to market. We depend on electricity to prevent food from spoiling by keeping it frozen or refrigerated. We depend on electricity to keep stores open and cash registers running so people can purchase food. If the grid goes down, within 72 hours the supplies of food coming into cities and towns will stop. (And then all hell breaks loose.)

We're delighted that FEMA has the foresight to order up to 17.5 million meals. But in a major crisis, that's barely a drop in the bucket. You simply can't depend on FEMA to keep you from starving. That's why it's so important to have your own emergency food supply.

If you want to know what the government is worried about, just watch what they're buying. A few weeks ago, the feds put out an RFP for "Program Management Support (subject matter experts) for the FEMA Domestic Emergency Support Team and Nuclear Incident Response Team... This is a new requirement... to acquire subject matter experts and technical support."

Around the same time, with Solicitation No. HSFE80-12-R-0033, FEMA announced plans to award contracts to housing inspectors -- the folks who assess the damages in disasters. The work involves onsite inspection of disaster-related property information, including the extent of damage to the dwelling, insurance status, how the habitability of the home is affected, verification of ownership, damage to personal property including vehicles, road and bridge access, and more. According to the official documents, "FEMA anticipates awarding multiple Housing Inspection Services contracts. Multiple Contractors may be required to respond to the same disaster(s) as needed and required by the DHS-FEMA."

Whether it's a New Madrid earthquake that affects nuclear power plants, a terrorist attack on U.S. soil, or some other disaster, these days the federal register is filled with contracts like these. Are they just being prudent, or do they know something we don't?

On July 25, according to news reports, the Department of Homeland Security put out a rush request for riot gear on the Federal Business Opportunities website. According to the reports, online government documentation explicitly stated, "riot gear to prepare for the 2012 Democratic and Republican National Conventions, the 2013 Presidential Inauguration, and other future similar activities." The solicitation was a rush order, proposals were only being accepted for 24 hours, and fulfillment of the order was expected by mid-August. (That solicitation no longer appears on the Federal Business Opportunities website.)

Is DHS really anticipating civil unrest during election season? Many experts think they are. The Obama team, reported the Huffington Post in June, is already lawyering up: "President Barack Obama's campaign has recruited a legion of lawyers to be on standby for this year's election as legal disputes surrounding the voting process escalate."

If legal remedies stall, will riots break out? (And if they do, are the 450 million .40 caliber hollow-point bullets purchased by the Department of Homeland Security in March part of the plan to control the crowds?)

Rest assured, if civil unrest does occur, you don't want to be out and about. Hunkering down in the safety of your own home, if at all possible, is the smartest way to weather the crisis. Depending on your location, going to work or sending the kids to school can be risky. No, you don't even want to go out for groceries... so make sure you have at least one month's supply of emergency dehydrated food.

Even if these crises fail to materialize, one thing IS for sure...

The news reports about this year's corn crop don't even begin to describe the truly appalling devastation to U.S. agriculture. Over half of all the counties in the United States have been declared natural disaster areas because of drought and scorching heat.

Here in Illinois, you wouldn't necessarily know it to look at it. Many of our cornfields actually look pretty good. Much of the corn is, amazingly, still green. Unless you take a close look, you'd think everything was hunky dory. But examine a corn stalk closely, and you're in for a nasty surprise -- because much of the corn this year never pollinated. Pollination is a fragile process that requires temperatures and moisture within a narrow range... and the extreme weather this summer short-circuited pollination for million of acres of corn. When corn doesn't pollinate, it doesn't produce food. And because corn is in almost every kind of packaged or processed food, because it's used in ethanol production and as cattle feed, demand will far exceed supply. Prices are already spiking in response. And that's just corn. We haven't even mentioned all the other crops that were affected.

Some experts are quietly starting to quietly utter two frightening words: "dust bowl." The 1930's Dust Bowl has been referred to as "the most extreme natural disaster in 350 years." Malnutrition and starvation were rampant. Are we ready for another one? If a 21st century dust bowl is imminent, what are your contingency plans to feed your family?

We're glad to hear that FEMA is being proactive with emergency food rations. Everyone should prepare--even if they're not exactly sure what they're preparing for. Most Americans assume the government will step in during any disaster and "bail them out" -- with food, water, and supplies. But as we've learned the hard way, only bankers and car manufacturers get bailed out. The rest of us are left to drown, starve, or get shot, as were the thousands of victims of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Even with the latest order of 17.5 million emergency meals, it's not nearly enough.

That's why YOU need to prepare. If you haven't started on your emergency food supplies, why not start with a simple, one-month supply? You'll find all the details here. If you do have emergency food on hand, it's still a smart idea to add more. For complete information about the best-tasting, most space-efficient long term food storage, click here . At the moment, we're fully stocked, and we'll rush your order to you right away. But don't delay. Who knows what's right around the corner?

Sincerely,

Bill Heid, President
Solutions From Science