Hey Cern,
The Empty Tank was my "holy crap I didn't realize things were this bad," book. Jeff Rubin has written a sequel to his first book and it is also a good read.
As far as the summer goes...well, brighter days ahead.
Time was at a premium but I did manage to help the kids with a couple of youth group projects - a small animal grazing cage and a predator trap. Ribbon winning projects, yes, but I also explained to the kids that both were made to be used for years and they can and will produce food. The cage can be moved across the grass for rabbits or chickens to graze. The "live" predator trap will catch a raccoon or skunk. The predator can be taken away and released or in a starving time, it could be killed and eaten.
As my grandmother would say, "the hard times will come again."
"A prudent man foresees the difficulties ahead and prepares for them; the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences." - Proverbs 22:3
"The man who has a garden and a library has everything." - Cicero