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“If people let government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny.” Thomas Jefferson

Monday, August 13, 2012

Tough Time Ahead

Like I said yesterday, there are tough times ahead. Most of the country has been embroiled in a terrible drought this year. That combined with the fact that this is the second year running for the drought in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas and the food situation is going to get pretty grim. Why is this a problem you say? Let me try to explain. The middle of the US is called the bread basket for a reason, it is where most of our grain crops are grown. Wheat and corn are huge there. Because of the drought many of these crops have burned up. Homesteaders have been steadily talking about this online for the past several months. The drought is the most common topic of discussion these days. Many small homesteaders lost their gardens because they simply couldn't keep them watered enough and the high heat burned them up anyway. Yields in basic staple ingredients like corn, wheat and soy are going to be down. When so much of our yield is already promised in contracts with other countries then those contracts are met first, leaving Americans with the leftovers. There isn't going to be much in the way of leftovers folks. Then consider with the corn crop that 40% goes to ethanol production. That leaves 60% of a bad harvest to fill contracts and feed the American populace. Let's see....60% of not much is very little left to feed the American populace. Also consider that these three crops are in just about every type of processed food in the grocery store and then some. Most things on the shelves have at least one of these ingredients. Then when you hit the meat and dairy case, typically those things were fed with corn and soy. Last year many dairymen downsized herds because they simply couldn't afford to feed them. Grain prices this year are rising even higher than last. Then there is the hay situation. If the corn, wheat and soy are burning up so are the hay fields. Farmers can't get in hay to feed for the winter because the grass simply doesn't grow when it is burning up. No hay means you can't feed your livestock. You can't sell them because no one else can feed them either so this means a glut of slaughter animals. Meat prices likely won't go down but will hold steady for a while and then when there is evidence of a shortage it will go up. Many of Texas' beef farmers cut way back to a small core of breeding stock last year, if they cut back this year that is bad bad news as Texas cattle farmers provide the majority of beef in this nation. So, you say well then you will just eat chicken. The heat is killing chickens right and left. I have a neighbor that raises quail and they lost 11,000 in one day due to the heat. And that is with the industrial size fans in the houses. I have another neighbor who raises commercial chickens and they have been looking for new employees to do nothing but clean up the dead chickens, they have so many. The chicken trucks have been running less and less from their farm also. Isn't it amazing how those three little grains affect so much and yet we give them so little thought? Start thinking now, if you haven't already. From the reports I have been reading there is the general consensus that grocery prices will rise anywhere from 30% to 40% by next spring. Build that pantry now and make plans. I know many families that are struggling now with grocery prices, what are they going to do next spring? I know I get astonished each time I go to the grocery and I don't buy that much, but I pay so much more than I used to. I used to be able to keep my house pretty well stocked for an average of 50.00 a month and that was just a couple years ago. Now, I spend about 200.00 a month for the same stuff. While, I don't like doom and gloom I do believe folks need a heads up and this is it...heads up it is gonna be tough to feed your kids. Plan now, prepare now, make changes now. Good luck and God bless, Kat

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