COTTERVILLE, Kansas (CNM) -- Walt Brunheimer started buying canned beans in February, "a few at a time, whenever they were on sale." By December, his collection had passed 4,000 cans and spread from the garage to the basement to the room his wife used to call the guest room.
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| Walt Brunheimer in what used to be his guest room |
"Now we call it the bean room," said Doris Brunheimer, 66. "Our grandchildren are coming for Christmas. They will be sleeping in the den."
Brunheimer, 68, said he did not expect civilization to collapse on January 1, but "if it does, I want to be the fellow with the beans." He has also stockpiled 300 gallons of water, a hand-cranked radio and a can opener he described as "the most important tool of the 21st century."
Neighbors have taken the stockpile in stride. Several have asked whether he might be willing to sell a few cans after New Year's. "We will see," he said. "We will see what kind of year it is."
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