Food prices increasing, possible shortages (merged topics)

[eph2]

Looks like those auctions are only in a few states 

[Polar Bear]

This article states an average of 15% of the U.S. population short of food before this inflation.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11761970

(Look at the chart over on the left to see what group is really getting slammed right now.)

I wonder how high it will go.  I have my winter garden going, and I'm doubling the size come spring, but I also feel lucky that I can give to the food bank as well.

[chrisdfw]

Chris: I was expecting a response like yours from my posting and I think you did an excellent job of eloquently depicting the situation. I have a friend in a similar situation, lots of toys plus house and wheels that were acquired when times were good but now both in the marriage have major job income loss and what they have to sell has no buyers. These are difficult times, and very perverse at that when someone in a late model SUV in a $250,000 home drives up to a food bank in the same peril as a homeless bloke.

I wasn't criticizing, just pointing out what from the outward appearances may not be obvious. I probably wouldn't have thought of it but for the experiences I have observed. Big time income cuts and people stuck in cars and trucks and boats and aircraft and homes they are upside down in. The real lesson is not to owe large debts that require your whole income to pay. I plan to make 7-8 times more next year, but increase my expenses less than twice. (yes its a realistic plan and will most definitely happen, at worst I make 5-6 times more than this year)

[Thox Spuddy]

I wasn't criticizing, just pointing out what from the outward appearances may not be obvious. I probably wouldn't have thought of it but for the experiences I have observed. Big time income cuts and people stuck in cars and trucks and boats and aircraft and homes they are upside down in. The real lesson is not to owe large debts that require your whole income to pay. I plan to make 7-8 times more next year, but increase my expenses less than twice. (yes its a realistic plan and will most definitely happen, at worst I make 5-6 times more than this year)

I did not take it as criticism, but as you said, pointed it out, of which situation I am aware of but in spite of, I do not give to food pantries but rather to The Salvation Army. You have my gusto for your goals!

[chrisdfw]

I did not take it as criticism, but as you said, pointed it out, of which situation I am aware of but in spite of, I do not give to food pantries but rather to The Salvation Army. You have my gusto for your goals!

Its possible because I took such a large pay cut to start my business. Its going now to the point where I will rejoin the workforce as an employee and have the business.
Basically, I make around 24k now with my business and am gonna get back in the job market and should make more than I made before. The job market is hot in my line of work. And my business should only grow.
But I learned my lesson by watching my friends and coworkers. I can live on 50 or less, I won't be caught going to the food pantry in a leased vehicle with 800 a month payments (yes it happens as you pointed out)
The important thing is that most of those people are not gaming the system, they just planned poorly and made poor financial choices (who hasn't)

Back to the prepping for food, I don't think people realize how cheap and easy it is to store a lot of cheap staples. Or how hard and expensive to store large amounts of meat. Sadly, that is where I am having trouble because of lack of money this year. I would like to be able to store more meat. (I hate spam) I might buy a case of mountain house ground beef next month, but that is expensive and is hard to afford a decent supply.

Any advice on meat anyone? On the cheap?

[The Professor]

Double-digit surge in food prices. . .

Inflation running amok. . .

Chinese government now offering food subsidies to families. . .

Officials fear unrest. . .

May you live in interesting times.

Full story can be found here: LINK

MODERATORS: Sorry, I couldn't figure out how to modify the link so it was shorter.

The Professor

Fixed link length. bartsdad

[Thox Spuddy]

Back to the prepping for food, I don't think people realize how cheap and easy it is to store a lot of cheap staples. Or how hard and expensive to store large amounts of meat. Sadly, that is where I am having trouble because of lack of money this year. I would like to be able to store more meat. (I hate spam) I might buy a case of mountain house ground beef next month, but that is expensive and is hard to afford a decent supply.

Any advice on meat anyone? On the cheap?

I'll listen in; the only way I know of is to buy on sale, in bulk, and freeze, can, or dehydrate it. Very lean hamburger can be cooked and dehydrated (in the oven). Spam is not cheap, nor or most canned meat you buy in the store. Some people think they get a good deal at Sam's club. Making meat stock is a great way to stretch meat.

[Thox Spuddy]

Same old, same old: Fears of new food crisis as prices soar

By Javier Blas, Commodities Editor

Published: November 17 2010 09:41 | Last updated: November 17 2010 18:18

 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/78b06d1a-f226-11df-9118-00144feab49a.html

[endurance]

I just watched a show last week on a local public television channel that showed the transition of Cuba, from an oil dependent agricultural base to an organic, small scale based agriculture after the Soviets pulled the plug on funding in the early 1990s.  Pretty remarkable program.  The average Cuban lost 20 pounds in one year, but now every vacant city lot is a community garden, they use 1/6th the fertilizer and pesticides and 1/10th the energy inputs as before.  They developed a major oxen breeding network, training hundreds of farmers to get off their tractors and use beasts of burden.

Someday that will come here.  Best be one step ahead than one step behind!

[LdMorgan]

Douhn heah in Floridah I just paid $5.29 for a gallon of milk, and and friend told me that T-bone steak is now up over $10.00 a pound.

I don't buy T-bone because I've considered it too expensive for decades.

I ran across a source that indicated food prices at Wal-Mart have been rising for the last three months at the rate of 5.13%.

Famine starts as a mild inconvenience that escalates.

It's happening right now, and it's getting worse fast, and it's going to get even worse even faster.

Stock up while you still can. Don't wait until you can't afford to stock up and it doesn't matter anyway because the shelves are empty.

[homeshow]

I ran across a source that indicated food prices at Wal-Mart have been rising for the last three months at the rate of 5.13%.

mind sharing that source?

[OldManSchmidt]

Do yourselves a favor with the meat.  If you don't raise your own, find a cattle rancher and get on good terms with him.  Then find an Amish or Mennonite butcher in the same area.  Next step, buy the beef on the hoof and have it butchered.  My stepmother's Dad raises beef cattle for "fun money" in his retirement.  This is how we do it.  Sometimes, you can even find a butcher that will butcher on percentage or halves.  For those who have never done it, a whole cow translates into a lot of meat.  Having it butchered on halves isn't such a bad idea unless you have a whole lot of freezer space or a way to dehydrate or can in bulk and then room to store it all.

[LvsChant]

I got an email from Ready Made Resources today regarding their freeze dried food in #10 cans. The supplier cannot keep up with demand and they are limiting the amount RMR can order each week.

I'm betting backorders on stuff is in their future...

[SaltyHobbit]

Breed Less, Spend Less, Save more.

+++++++++++++++++to many to list

[Sweethearts Mom]

I did not read this whole thread but from the title I think this will apply. I went to the local wally world and bought my fav coffee (believe it or not the wally world brand) and when I got it home I noticed this. (no the price didn't go down)

Purchased 6 months ago


Purchased this week

[Thox Spuddy]

Sweetie: did the can size change? If not, 10 points for observation. And expect more of that kind of scamming to come.

[Sweethearts Mom]

The can size changed a small bit. Shorter it seems. I will measure that but I agree. Soon we will need a magnifying glass at the store

[BatonRouge Bill]

Our local Community Coffee on the label "Still a full pound!" which gets people to compare. The Waltons are really tough retailers and if Community wasn't so extremely popular in our area I'm sure the Waltons would have had them taken off the shelves for that! Everything that was a 16 oz lb dropped to 12 oz..prepackaged crawfish, shrimp, hotdogs... 5 lb boxes of smoke sausage went to 4 lbs now 3.5 lbs 

[daved]

The items in my warehouse get smaller all the time. We have several weight outs a year. Other times the size will go up slightly but the price will go up even more. Still other times the weight stays the same and the price goes up. It all depends on the price point. It is hard to raise a 99 cent item to $1.xx so those almost always get smaller. Other price points aren't such a big deal so sizes and prices can be changed rather easily.

Here's a hint to see if something you normally buy is going to change price or weight. If it is normally pre-priced from the manufacturer and all of a sudden doesn't come with a price anymore it is probably about to get more expensive. We routinely get no price items in prior to a price change so we aren't selling something for x when it is marked y.

On the upside there are times we get a notification of a price DECREASE. I've been managing warehouses for better than 10 years now. I think I've seen 2 or 3 items actually get cheaper. Increases and weight outs on the other hand happen on a very regular basis.

[LdMorgan]

In some parts of China. the Chinese government is now regulating the price of the four most common food products, and is contemplating increasing both the number of products regulated and the area those regulations apply to.

Sorry--don't have the link handy, or any more info. That's just a factoid I ran across while researching the food shortage situation.

Which, by the way, is much worse in the international context than just with regard to America.

Internationally, the food problem can almost be described as a game of musical chairs, with somebody being foodless all the time, and everybody in line to be foodless soon.

I actually read an article about an incident of cannibalism in the Urals this month. Several years ago, I read one about a group of Chinese merchants that were arrested for openly selling human flesh in the marketplace during one of their local famines.

It doesn't take much in the way of starvation for Long Pig to become the other other white meat.

[Herbalpagan]

Wow! guess they should have kept more people working on the farms.

[kiteflyer]

 With the dollar falling look for big surprises at the food table very soon!

      kiteflyer

UN Warning: Global food crisis imminent

 http://richardbrenneman.wordpress.com/2010/11/17/un-warning-global-food-crisis-imminent/

 The UN today warned that food prices could rise by 10%-20% next year after poor harvests and an expected rundown of global reserves. More than 70 African and Asian countries will be the worst hit, said the Food and Agricultural Organization in its monthly report.


 Wheat crop struggling as market jumps

  http://www.agriculture.com/news/crops/wheat-crop-struggling-as-market-jumps_2-ar12592

[LdMorgan]

mind sharing that source?

Hey, Homeshow!

I looked for that article, and couldn't find it again. It was either from the National Inflation Association or one of the economic sources I get in my email. Maybe one by Justin Brill.

The fact that Wal-Mart is increasing prices that much each month just stuck with me as the perfect example of the coming hyperinflation. 60-odd % per year, and soon to be rising faster, I think.

If I run across it again, I'll post it. It was part of a pretty good read.

[Sweethearts Mom]

Ok I am going to start a log of some main items that I shop for. Each time I go to the store I am going to log the package size and price along with the date.

I think I see a spread sheet project!

[NWBowhunter]

I see a full fledge data base app that can track the cost of a shopping basket. Because you need to track the sizes and prices.

[Sweethearts Mom]

Probably will only track some main items that are used a lot. This could be kind of fun.

[Thox Spuddy]

Hey, Homeshow!

I looked for that article, and couldn't find it again. It was either from the National Inflation Association or one of the economic sources I get in my email. Maybe one by Justin Brill.

The fact that Wal-Mart is increasing prices that much each month just stuck with me as the perfect example of the coming hyperinflation. 60-odd % per year, and soon to be rising faster, I think.

If I run across it again, I'll post it. It was part of a pretty good read.

Wal-Mart night be showing a fake increase due to a policy earlier this year of selling certain items below cost as loss leaders but found that shoppers came in for those and did the rest of their shopping elsewhere. They have since raised prices on the loss leaders. I find their prices to be higher than the Woodman's warehouse food prices.

[Nicodemus]

I started noticing the size of tuna cans decreasing about 2 years ago. I still have a stack of 6oz tuna cans next to which are a stack of a few of the newer 5oz cans. There are still places to get the 6oz cans and that's where I buy tuna, but I've come to find that it is not at any of the local grocery stores.

[PAGUY]

I did not read this whole thread but from the title I think this will apply. I went to the local wally world and bought my fav coffee (believe it or not the wally world brand) and when I got it home I noticed this. (no the price didn't go down)

Purchased 6 months ago


Purchased this week

Now this tells you how much I have stocked up on it.  I have not realized the change until today when I read this thread and went to stock up for the wife.  Trying to get a few more pennies from us I guess.

[hillclimber]

Went on a shopping trip just today. It was at a BJs. The prices have gone up some, but not as much as at the local grocery stores and WalMart.
If it wasn't for BJs, my hunting ethics would be right out the window at this point.
Coffee is getting a little out of hand though. They seem to go after our "habbits" first.