Food shortages — coming soon to a country that is deporting its immigrant workers?

When I wrote about food shortages back in the spring, I was definitely not thinking about Der Drumpfer causing one.

But if he carries out the mass deportations he has promised, or if there is mass self-deportation, that is what will happen. There will be nobody available to harvest the crops or to tend them throughout the year. And if he starts trade wars or otherwise pisses off food producing countries, there will be less food coming in. And one thing is for sure, food will become more expensive.

John McCain famously once said that Americans wouldn’t or couldn’t pick lettuce for $50 an hour. Well, nobody is going to be offering anything like that amount, though if there is a labour shortage wages will have to rise and therefore prices — unless workers are drafted.

Fortunately, this is the time of year when next year’s crops are planned and this year’s seeds are available, so it is a good time to plan your own garden or, if you do not have one, to at least buy plenty of seeds for microgreens. These may not be very filling but are full of nutrients.

There may also be a shortage of the tools needed for gardening too, so order your greenhouses and raised beds, or gather the materials to construct your own.