Is canning veggies cost effective?

[Boogity]

According to the USDOE the average annual cost of operating an upright EnergyStar rated 15 cu. ft. freezer w/automatic defrost is $145. Chest type freezer w/automatic defrost is $137. It's kind of hard to read but it looks like you can figure a non-EnergyStar unit at about 11% more. Of course, energy costs vary by location in the USA.

I do not know any of the details that went into these estimates, I just went to their website to check. All I know is that freezers are very expensive to run.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

This whole thread has made me want to dip my toes deeper into canning - more than just black raspberry jam and green beans!

 

[k15n1]

There's been a lot of comments that mention the cost of labor, which I want to address.

First of all, most people cannot simply work a few extra hours whenever they want. Therefore, thinking of your time in this way is inappropriate. Valuing your labor at minimum wage is only appropriate if you are actually giving up paid work to garden or preserve the fruits of your garden.

Second, if you're living in America, you're probably fat. Those involved on this forum are less likely to be in need of excercise, but almost everyone needs more labor---more labor, less meat, fewer microwavable meals, and less TV. Sounds extreme, but the majority of Americans are fat or really fat. It's not just about looks or being able to see your feet---we're suffering from fat diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. These diseases have serious consequences.

Growing some of your own food is a practical way to address the issue. There is research (Pollen mentions it in his book In Defense of Food) that indicates that people who put more time and money into their food are more satisfied with it and are less overweight.

So, if you're going to account for your time, you have to account for your gym membership. You can use all of the time you saved by buying food to go to the gym.

 

[Icu4dzs]

The response written by K15n1 is (while calling a spade a spade) tends to address the issue from a fairly critical perspective. I see a lot of folks in the office who are morbidly obese and have no use for a discussion of weight loss and exercise despite it being cheaper than drugs and not having any appreciable side effects (other than good ones).

Work, in its purest form is good for the body. One of the reasons I bought a farm for my elder years is because I consider farm work "FUN" and enjoy it. However, there are those whose time is not considered as valuable as my own in the "Open Market". Despite this fact, the work of the farm is good for the body and the soul because it brings you close to the earth where life occurs.

Time is the only thing some folks have and growing a garden is efficient use of that time, particularly when you consider the rising cost of food produced by someone else and priced to support folks who do the work on those farms as "migrant workers". None of us consider ourselves "migrant workers" because we do all the work for ourselves, not for a miserably low pay check.

Yesterday, a statistic came out that the POTUS feels is in his favor for the next election. The "hispanic population" has grown to 50 million from 30 million in just 10 years. While this is going on, many of us don't realize that this is the same population who are in large part the "illegal aliens" who are using the treasury of the United States (i.e. your tax dollars) to gain power in the voting place despite the fact that they are NOT U.S. citizens. Consider this when you see folks who are unable to "get a job" and let these illegal aliens do the work, have their "anchor babies" and gradually change the millieu of our country.

That having been said, we need to consider the value of OUR time. Growing our own food is valuable to each of us and that time is rapidly becoming more valuable as the market continues to squeeze more and more money from us for our food and basic items of survival. What is that time worth? If we grow a garden, tend it and harvest it, the product is purely our own. The value of the same volume of food harvested by those "migrant workers" is significant. Go find out what a tomato costs at the store and then compare it to your time expenditure in the garden. Your time is worth something and as time goes on it will be even more valuable.

Yes, many Americans are fat. Yes, many "Americans" are on welfare and taking from this country but giving back NOTHING in terms of taxes and overall contribution to the "general welfare" of the citizens of the Uniited States of America.

We have many "citizens" on welfare who just won't work. It is now time for the ones who recieve a check every month to produce some form of labor other than simply make more illegitimate babies in order to increase their welfare allottment. It is time the citizens of the United States whose taxes pay for this "welfare" to decide to demand something in return for their largesse.

Additionally, anyone one welfare should be subjected to drug testing. If they can afford liquor, cigarettes and drugs, they can afford to work or NOT get a check. Let's see our POTUS take control of THAT and get those folks who receive a check out into the fields to help with our rising cost of food. They eat that food, but they won't work for it. I have a problem with that.

I have to work every day. I go to three hospitals one of which is on an Indian Reservation and another is 128 miles away. I see what is going on and it not only frightens me but it sickens me. Folks have time to do whatever they want, and I have to go to work and then go home and tend MY garden. OK so where's the beef?

It is high time the citizens in the USA who pay taxes GOT SOMETHING for those taxes. IF the folks on welfare can't find a job, they need to be ASSIGNED to a job and show up or NO CHECK!

Yes, this got political in a heartbeat but if we don't do something soon we are going to find ourselves wiped out, both financially and physically by this ever growing population of welfare recipients who think the USA OWES them a living.

Frankly, I worked for everything I have and have done so my entire life. I was born to rather, (shall we say) AUSTERE circumstances. I worked in school, served my country for 40 years of my life and went to college and higher education on my own dime. Others can do the same. Education to the end of high school is free in this country and what I have seen with the squandering of THAT value by those on the welfare rules is attrocious. I taught in the public school for 2 years and I KNOW of what I speak.

If you think assigning value to my time in the garden is "inappropriate" and think I am fat, go to my journal and see that I am at "IDEAL BODY WEIGHT", I work every day and pay enough taxes to support two working families for a year or more each and every YEAR of my life. In addition, most of what I eat comes from MY FARM and a little of it comes from within 100 miles of it!

Yes, I find that post a bit "irritating" and think it did nothing but bring out the issues raised above.

Flame me if you like but remember, WORK is HONEST. Welfare is criminal after 6 months. I am willing to help anyone get back on their feet and that is what welfare was designed to do, but NOT to last for FOUR generations.

O and by the way, how come none of the movie stars did any concerts to help the folks in Iowa when the floods came? THey sure did with Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans! I guess the folks in Iowa aren't as important and valuable as the folks in New Orleans who complained that the federal government didn't come to their aid and give them everything AGAIN! Yes, I am mad...

ETA: I don't have time to go to a gym and hang out with folks whose time is valuable. I have to work.

YMMV
//BT//
Trim sends

 

[KevsFarm]

Icu4dzs...i understand your frustration.The system has been broken for a long time.Personally, i think were already to far gone as a great nation, at this point.The Feds paying out more than its taking in, sooner or later, that means default in any language.The wave of illegals, fraud, corruption,laziness and just to may people,have taken its toll.Every great empire falls sooner or later, America is no exception.Were on the fast track to being a 3rd world country.Todays bad economic news, is more proof of our faultering path.To get back to canning stuff, everyone has their own ideas and needs. I like the idea of canning protein.Meats are the most expensive of food items.Wifezilla, i know veggie can be grown in the winter.However then are mostly cole and root crops,as well as cold tolerate lettuces and spinach.I've wintered over Vate's blue curl kale for yrs.in small hoop houses.What i meant was things like tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, warm weather crops.Those are the ones that are tough to grow in Maine in the winter, if at all..Keep on canning and growing people..!

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

I agree that meat is that protiens are the most expensive to buy! Right now, 2 lbs of ground beef at our little local grocery store - where we like to buy our meat because it's fresh and cut right there - is $15.00!!!!

They also have a HUGE roast that I would LOVE to cook up - probably goes 8-10lbs - $83

$83 is what the average price of a bottle calf is around here. I'd be better off to take that $83, buy a calf, spend $50 on milk replacer, wean it, put it out on my pasture, raise it out to about 1100 pounds (we like the little bit bigger steaks) and the only thing really invested into that steer is the $133-$150 spent buying the calf and milk replacer.

Price of new calf? $83
Price of Milk replacer? $50
Price of eating grass fed non hormoned beef? Priceless.

 

[k15n1]

No offense intended, Icu4dzs.

I'm only trying to point out that work in the garden isn't a negative, even from an economic point of view. You don't have to justify the cost of your time when considering whether or not gardening/canning is a good idea.

To be completely honest, the economics of poor health should also be included in any discussion of the cost of food.

Gardening also solves the migrant labor and welfare issues mentioned above, but I think that's getting pretty far off topic. It's probably my fault, for which I apologize, so let's get back to the point.

Bottom line, including labor, health care, food prices, gardening and canning equipment, canning is a good economic choice. And because most people already have a freezer, freezing food is also a good economic choice.

 

[FarmerJamie]

I agree that meat is that protiens are the most expensive to buy! Right now, 2 lbs of ground beef at our little local grocery store - where we like to buy our meat because it's fresh and cut right there - is $15.00!!!!

They also have a HUGE roast that I would LOVE to cook up - probably goes 8-10lbs - $83

$83 is what the average price of a bottle calf is around here. I'd be better off to take that $83, buy a calf, spend $50 on milk replacer, wean it, put it out on my pasture, raise it out to about 1100 pounds (we like the little bit bigger steaks) and the only thing really invested into that steer is the $133-$150 spent buying the calf and milk replacer.

Price of new calf? $83
Price of Milk replacer? $50
Price of eating grass fed non hormoned beef? Priceless.

or with the canning spin....

having your kids each bring up from the basement pantry an armload of home canned goods in the middle of January to make a big ol' pot of homemade chili and say "this is just like having our own grocery store" extra priceless!

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

I agree that meat is that protiens are the most expensive to buy! Right now, 2 lbs of ground beef at our little local grocery store - where we like to buy our meat because it's fresh and cut right there - is $15.00!!!!

They also have a HUGE roast that I would LOVE to cook up - probably goes 8-10lbs - $83

$83 is what the average price of a bottle calf is around here. I'd be better off to take that $83, buy a calf, spend $50 on milk replacer, wean it, put it out on my pasture, raise it out to about 1100 pounds (we like the little bit bigger steaks) and the only thing really invested into that steer is the $133-$150 spent buying the calf and milk replacer.

Price of new calf? $83
Price of Milk replacer? $50
Price of eating grass fed non hormoned beef? Priceless.

or with the canning spin....

having your kids each bring up from the basement pantry an armload of home canned goods in the middle of January to make a big ol' pot of homemade chili and say "this is just like having our own grocery store" extra priceless!

Oh yea! and, canned ground beef made into hamburg gravy - delicious! smothered over potatoes you grew in your own garden - heavenly!!

oh goodness...we just had lunch and now I'm hungry again........

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

wait.. fifteen DOLLARS? seriously???

we never go to the meat section anymore. well, we do just to point and laugh at the ridiculously expensive ham slices. then we say "hey do we need ham?" and then laugh laugh laugh and slap each other on the back and think about our delicious home-raised-n-butchered ham at home.

now that you mention it QA, i think the cost of a honey baked ham will get you a feeder pig to grow out. thats a great way to think about it.

if you really want to do it up right - can your potatoes.... i swear, its the easiest thing ever and the quickest way to supper. i thought it was the stupidest thing ever, but wow you take care of all the prep work up front so all you have to do is pop open a can of taters and fry 'em up in lard and you are in business.