FOOD SUPPLY. The food chain is comprised of many businesses including: suppliers of seed, fertilizer and feed, farmers and ranchers; food processors and distributors; and retailers including supermarkets, grocery stores and convenience stores in your community. Many farmers use personal computers to manage farm finances and automated equipment for feeding, watering, storage, milking, and irrigation. In fact, a 1997 poll showed that 32% of Minnesota farmers own or lease computers. Retailers also use automated equipment such as scanners, scales, cash registers and credit card readers. According to a April 21, 1999, report issued by the President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion, the Y2K problem won't cause widespread or severe disruptions in the food supply but more work should be achieved in the areas of embedded systems and contingency planning. There is also a concern that small- to medium-sized grocery stores may not be paying enough attention to the problem.

WATER. Chlorine injection and storm water control systems, lift station pump controllers . . . these are just a few devices outlined in the League of Minnesota Cities' Y2K Action Guide that drinking water and wastewater operators have to check for Y2K problems. Testing of wastewater systems and other systems that could impact the environment is encouraged by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency through its Y2K Testing and Enforcement Policy. The City of Buffalo's wastewater plant will undergo a Y2K test early this summer. Its testing procedure may become a blueprint for testing wastewater systems in cities throughout the state. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), the American Water Works Association, and the Rural Water Association are among the organizations that have increased Y2K awareness among Minnesota's drinking water system providers. The 1999 Legislature passed legislation requiring the MDH to conduct a Y2K-readiness survey of all hospitals, nursing homes, schools with their own source of water, and community water supply systems. Survey responses must indicate how much of each phase of Y2K preparation has been completed including assessment, remediation and testing. Survey results will be provided to the Minnesota Division of Emergency Management and will be made available to the public in a prompt and reasonable manner. The reports are due on July 1 and October 1.

TRANSPORTATION. The transportation industry supports personal and business travel and is also the linchpin for just-in-time inventories of perishable food supplies and other goods. This diverse industry includes aviation, railroads, maritime shipping, and highway and mass transit operations. The President Council's report indicates good progress being made by air carriers, the air traffic controls and commercial space transportation systems, railroads, and certain elements of the shipping industry. Most of us will want to visit friends and family this coming New Year's Eve. Minnesota's Department of Transportation has worked to make sure that roads will be safe and plowed this winter by testing the Y2K readiness of snow removal equipment and traffic lights, and has contingency plans in place - just in case. It has also increased awareness among municipalities and counties that maintain roads and traffic lights in your community.

Food Safety. In the unlikely event that you experience loss of power, you should be able to keep refrigerated or frozen food for a limited period of time:

• Most refrigerators can keep food cool enough for four to six hours, if you keep the door closed. Keep refrigerated foods as close to 41 degrees Fahrenheit as possible — and discard food if it's been above that temperature for four hours or more. Use a refrigerator thermometer if you have one.

• Frozen food should stay frozen for about two days in a full freezer — or one day in a half-full freezer — if you keep the door closed. Discard any frozen food if it's been thawed out for two hours or more.

• And always remember the basic rule for handling food in an emergency — when in doubt, throw it out!

August 21, 1999. The GPS roll over - global positioning satellites track time by counting the number of weeks passed since the initial launch in 1980. At 6 p.m., August 21, 1999, Central Standard time, these counters will roll over from their maximum number "9999" back to "0000" and begin the count all over again. While the satellites are unaffected, systems using GPS signals could malfunction. This is not a Y2K problem but it could affect the aviation, busing, trucking, agricultural, and shipping industries. Experts advise that GPS receivers manufactured before 1997 are the most likely to malfunction and should be assessed.