Mackay
Almost Self-Reliant
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Were not stupid and they know it. What they know is that we are powerless to do anything about it.On Our own said:
Soaring Prices Threaten New Food Crisis
- Thread starter k0xxx
- Start date
Wifezilla
Low-Carb Queen - RIP: 1963-2021
I'm canning and freezing as fast as I can. One farmer's market is open for a few more Saturdays. I am buying loads of butternut squash, acorn squash, pumpkins, spaghetti squash, etc...
I loaded up on chilis and just made my second batch of hot chili sauce. I keep buying dried beans. I bottle some honey and am stashing it away from the boys
We do have 1/2 a pig. Turkeys go on sale soon in my area and I am stuffing the rest of the freezer with those.I am also seeing what I can grow over winter in hoop houses and indoors.
Extra food for the critters is the only fly in the ointment. Not sure where/how to store it to make sure I don't get mold. That can kill the ducks and quail.
freemotion
Food Guru
We're not all powerless. I think I just might plant grains as a rotation crop in one of my gardens each year. Gonna go glean a LOT of ear corn and hang it to dry from the rafters. Free.Mackay said:
Grinding flour from purchased grains: $0.44 per pound.
Buy whole foods in bulk and prepare from scratch. Learn to like whole foods. You can get free or very cheap stuff from meat processors, too, like fat and bones and organ meats.
Wifezilla
Low-Carb Queen - RIP: 1963-2021
"A surprise contraction in the US corn supply will push up beef, pork and chicken prices in what parts of the industry warn will be a game changer.
With the US harvest halfway through, the US Department of Agriculture said the average corn field will yield 155.8 bushels per acre, 6.7 bushels less than its September estimate.
The impact of this is huge, a complete game changer, says Gregg Doud, chief economist of the National Cattlemens Beef Association. This is an all-time record change in corn yield from one month to the next. We were caught completely flat-footed.
The season-average farm price for corn, an integral part of the diet of protein animals, is projected to rise by 60 cents a bushel to between $4.60 and $5.40.
The beef industry is only this year recovering from the commodity price spikes of 2007 and 2008 events that led to a dramatic diminution of the number of cattle raised for slaughter.
Mr Doud said the spike in corn prices would push the cost of breeding cattle beyond the point where those costs could be passed along to consumers."
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/085c9966-d4c2-11df-b230-00144feabdc0.html
Got COCOA?
" US faces shortage of commodities including cocoa
Experts have revealed that, in September, US businesses faced a shortage of key commodities including cocoa powder; capacitors; electronic components; lubricants; and titanium dioxide.
The latest Manufacturing ISM Report On Business, found that the commodities that enjoyed the biggest price increases on US markets were aluminum; caustic soda; copper, corn and corrugate. The biggest price falls were seen in natural gas; and steel.
The report was issued today by Norbert J. Ore, CPSM, C.P.M., chair of the Institute for Supply Management Manufacturing Business Survey Committee. "While the headline number shows relative strength this month as the PMI reading of 54.4 % is still quite positive, the overall picture is less encouraging. The growth of new orders continued to slow, as the index is down significantly from its cyclical high of 65.9 % (January 2010)," he said.
"Production is currently growing at a faster rate than new orders, but it typically lags and would be expected to weaken further in the fourth quarter. Manufacturing has enjoyed a stronger recovery than other sectors of the economy, but it appears that weaker growth is the expectation for the fourth quarter. Both the inventories and backlog of orders indexes are sending strong negative signals of weakening performance in the sector.""
http://www.procurementleaders.com/news/latestnews/4102-us-faces-shortage-cocoa/
With the US harvest halfway through, the US Department of Agriculture said the average corn field will yield 155.8 bushels per acre, 6.7 bushels less than its September estimate.
The impact of this is huge, a complete game changer, says Gregg Doud, chief economist of the National Cattlemens Beef Association. This is an all-time record change in corn yield from one month to the next. We were caught completely flat-footed.
The season-average farm price for corn, an integral part of the diet of protein animals, is projected to rise by 60 cents a bushel to between $4.60 and $5.40.
The beef industry is only this year recovering from the commodity price spikes of 2007 and 2008 events that led to a dramatic diminution of the number of cattle raised for slaughter.
Mr Doud said the spike in corn prices would push the cost of breeding cattle beyond the point where those costs could be passed along to consumers."
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/085c9966-d4c2-11df-b230-00144feabdc0.html
Got COCOA?
" US faces shortage of commodities including cocoa
Experts have revealed that, in September, US businesses faced a shortage of key commodities including cocoa powder; capacitors; electronic components; lubricants; and titanium dioxide.
The latest Manufacturing ISM Report On Business, found that the commodities that enjoyed the biggest price increases on US markets were aluminum; caustic soda; copper, corn and corrugate. The biggest price falls were seen in natural gas; and steel.
The report was issued today by Norbert J. Ore, CPSM, C.P.M., chair of the Institute for Supply Management Manufacturing Business Survey Committee. "While the headline number shows relative strength this month as the PMI reading of 54.4 % is still quite positive, the overall picture is less encouraging. The growth of new orders continued to slow, as the index is down significantly from its cyclical high of 65.9 % (January 2010)," he said.
"Production is currently growing at a faster rate than new orders, but it typically lags and would be expected to weaken further in the fourth quarter. Manufacturing has enjoyed a stronger recovery than other sectors of the economy, but it appears that weaker growth is the expectation for the fourth quarter. Both the inventories and backlog of orders indexes are sending strong negative signals of weakening performance in the sector.""
http://www.procurementleaders.com/news/latestnews/4102-us-faces-shortage-cocoa/
Rebecka
Lovin' The Homestead
We are already seeing the corn issues at the local co op. Our chicken and turkey feed prices have gone up. Not a lot, just about .50 , but still. Our poor UPS guy is going to be furious with us. I ordered 100lbs of gmo free wheat and oats a few days ago 
ETA: I got them for planting. A neighbor and us are getting together and planting winter wheat. I don't think we have a long enough growing season to follow those up with oats, but he insists we do, so we'll see
ETA: I got them for planting. A neighbor and us are getting together and planting winter wheat. I don't think we have a long enough growing season to follow those up with oats, but he insists we do, so we'll see
freemotion
Food Guru
Wifezilla said:Not eating grains for 3 years.... $0.00/lb
I was thinking that! I could easily give up grains...Love 'em, but most of us would be healthier without them!
FarmerDenise
Out to pasture
As an experiment I planted amaranth grain and wheat in the garden. The goats and rabbit are already eating the amaranth. The dog likes the wheat grass. I also planted lentils. The pods are tiny.
I intend to try out a few more grains and seeds. I just bought some spelt. Even if some of this might not work for human consumption, I will be happy, if the animals eat it.
This year we grew 4 different types of corn. All of which can be dried and used for feed and flour.
We grew 5 different kinds of beans. All are good dried. I am drying the bean pods and putting them in feed bags to feed them to the goats over the next few months. I will be feeding the goats the plant material too, once we are done with the beans.
Broomcorn, another easy and good food crop for people and animals (also good for making brooms). The critters like the seeds as well as the greens.
I grew some buckwheat, but only had 3 seeds. I learned that it grows easily in my garden. I now have 1/2 cup of it.
We grew millet. This seems too much of a pain to get the seeds out, but it is great for the critters. Letting them get it out, also keeps them occupied.
We grew sunflowers. We used to sell the flowers, but decided it wasn't worth all the work for the little money we got. Now we have it for feed and seed. Every part of the sunflower is edible. I am saving the big heads for feeding the critters later in the year (and some for seed) and all the stems and small heads and leaves are going to the chickens, goats and rabbit. The goats even eat the stems if I hold onto them and they can bite off a piece.
We got lots of volunteer pumkins this year and they are nice and big. We will store them by the back door, where they will be decorative and a constant reminder to feed the animals and make pumkin soup and pumkin bread (we don't like pumkin pie)
The seeds will be fed to the critters and some roasted for us.
I am going to try and plant a lot more stuff this winter.
Fava beans are a good winter cover crop for the garden. The beans are good to eat and the vegetation is good for the animals.
I intend to try out a few more grains and seeds. I just bought some spelt. Even if some of this might not work for human consumption, I will be happy, if the animals eat it.
This year we grew 4 different types of corn. All of which can be dried and used for feed and flour.
We grew 5 different kinds of beans. All are good dried. I am drying the bean pods and putting them in feed bags to feed them to the goats over the next few months. I will be feeding the goats the plant material too, once we are done with the beans.
Broomcorn, another easy and good food crop for people and animals (also good for making brooms). The critters like the seeds as well as the greens.
I grew some buckwheat, but only had 3 seeds. I learned that it grows easily in my garden. I now have 1/2 cup of it.
We grew millet. This seems too much of a pain to get the seeds out, but it is great for the critters. Letting them get it out, also keeps them occupied.
We grew sunflowers. We used to sell the flowers, but decided it wasn't worth all the work for the little money we got. Now we have it for feed and seed. Every part of the sunflower is edible. I am saving the big heads for feeding the critters later in the year (and some for seed) and all the stems and small heads and leaves are going to the chickens, goats and rabbit. The goats even eat the stems if I hold onto them and they can bite off a piece.
We got lots of volunteer pumkins this year and they are nice and big. We will store them by the back door, where they will be decorative and a constant reminder to feed the animals and make pumkin soup and pumkin bread (we don't like pumkin pie)
The seeds will be fed to the critters and some roasted for us.
I am going to try and plant a lot more stuff this winter.
Fava beans are a good winter cover crop for the garden. The beans are good to eat and the vegetation is good for the animals.
colowyo0809
Lovin' The Homestead
we have an almost $300 vegetable and herb seed/bulb order already to go for next year. we just need the new catalog to make sure prices are the same, and the money for it 
we included amaranth because it's a grain we can use, so we'll see how that works out. if nothing else, like everyone else we will use it for the chickens as well as the turkeys we are adding next year I splurged a little bit and bought some bulbs to plant this fall, they should be here thursday. Granted, we won't eat the flowers but sometimes a little beauty goes along way towards personal happiness and healthiness.
I'm somewhat worried about food prices as well, it's why we are trying to start raising our own veggies and meat as much as possible. that, plus we are trying to get away from store processed foods!
we included amaranth because it's a grain we can use, so we'll see how that works out. if nothing else, like everyone else we will use it for the chickens as well as the turkeys we are adding next year I splurged a little bit and bought some bulbs to plant this fall, they should be here thursday. Granted, we won't eat the flowers but sometimes a little beauty goes along way towards personal happiness and healthiness. I'm somewhat worried about food prices as well, it's why we are trying to start raising our own veggies and meat as much as possible. that, plus we are trying to get away from store processed foods!
