Food Prices, Shortages & Inflation - The Trash Index

[old fashioned]

Drought in Texas and other states have caused major crop losses and cattlemen to sell off large amounts of their herds which means by next year there will be shortages in supplies coupled with soaring prices.

We all may want to stock up our freezers & pantries NOW to hedge those coming price increases.

 

[Wifezilla]

Yes, beef SHOULD have a temporary dip in prices followed by a spike. I am stuffing my freezer with duck this weekend, but will be watching closely for beef sales.

My dog is eating rather well these days as I won't cater to that mentality.

Good dog! LOL

I don't blame you for this attitude. As a consumer, I would LOVE to only buy pastured beef, freerange chicken, etc... but my budget doesn't always allow it. I love supporting local farmers and so does abi. But, like me, she can't always afford it. As soon as we can though, she is buying direct from a local dairy and I am over at a farm 5 minutes from my house buying all the organic goodness we can

It is taking a while, but I am slowly putting together a customer base that values what I have to offer and doesn't resent me having enough money to buy some new chore clothes once in a while and not going in the hole to feed the animals they expect to eat.

 

[Pirtykitty]

Wifezilla,
Are you getting rid of all your ducks or just some of the extras?????

 

[TanksHill]

If you find a beef sale let us know. It's the only think I am really lacking.

 

[miss_thenorth]

Went to the grocery store today. I noticed prices are up again. they were rasied about 6 months ago, but today, i noticed some things were up 10 cents, some things about a dollar.

(sorry, hadn]t been following the thread, just hought i woul dpost my findings about food prices)

 

[FarmerDenise]

Another agricultural area has been hit. Both upstate NY and VT have lost farm produce and animals along with equipment and structures.
Schoharie Valley, my home town community, grows most of the food consumed by New Yorkers. Those farms are now covered in several inches of silt and their animals have drowned. The roads and bridges are washed away, so that the farmers who are still able to produce milk etc, cannot get it to the consolidation point.

We are stocking up here as best we can.

We are also having the problem that animalfarm is having, of people not wnting to pay a fair price for our produce. We are not asking for anything exhorbitant. I check the supermarket prices and charge just a little more, because our stuff is organinc and super fresh. And like animalfarm, our critters are eating extremely well thse day, because, we either sell it it a fair price, barter with it, give it to pople who always help us, preserve it, eat it or feed it to our critters! I am not selling my lemons 5 for a $, when the grocery stores are charging 30 cents a piece!

 

[Wifezilla]

PK, I have 6 drakes I need to process plus I am getting some ducks from Matthew and CJ. I will still have around 8 or so left. Hubby was pushing for 6, but I laughed at him

I will always have some kind of ducks if I can. Life would be so dull without the fluffy little goobers

 

[reinbeau]

Unfortunately people have gotten used to cheap products, they don't see the value of good quality products grown or produced close to home. While I don't deny there's some who gouge, for the most part I don't mind one bit paying a bit more for local and well-produced. If I can't afford it, then it's a problem on my end, not theirs.

 

[Pirtykitty]

Wifzzila , glad to know !!!! you are just thinning out... Yepper 6 drakes would be a bunch .

 

[Britesea]

Wow, I find this a hard discussion to read. I can see both points of view, but I am a farmer, and I find it difficult to swallow that I must starve in order for others to have a good deal. That being said, I don't believe in gouging but I won't give it away either.

There have been many threads about buying local, but it is getting next to impossible; some companies are pretending to being local but if you read the fine print, they are merely exporting from China while giving a local company name on the box. The more this applies to food, the more likely that local fresh food will become higher priced and by supporting imports and insisting on paying less then the cost to produce, the consumer is eroding the local farmers ability to stay afloat and put food on any ones table. Not a problem till the supply line to wallyworld gets cut off and then what will be the price to pay?

I have beef, chicken, eggs, pork and veggies for sale, but I am constantly expected to accept the prices from 20 years ago; not going to happen. My dog is eating rather well these days as I won't cater to that mentality. It is taking a while, but I am slowly putting together a customer base that values what I have to offer and doesn't resent me having enough money to buy some new chore clothes once in a while and not going in the hole to feed the animals they expect to eat.

I understand what you are saying. But if a person is NOT a farmer, it can be very difficult to know what a fair price of something is. Is $9 for a dozen eggs fair? It doesn't seem so to me, but I don't know how much it costs to produce those eggs and get them to market.

While I want to support my local farmers, if my little bitty paycheck is being squeezed by everyone till it squeals I will do whatever is necessary to get food on the table for my family. That's one of the reasons I like bartering. We barter a loaf of artisan style naturally leavened bread for a dozen eggs each week. I have no idea what the dollar value might be of that exchange, but both sides are happy with the deal and that's good enough for me.