Archive for July, 2012
Mid-West Drought to Cause Food Price Increases
As crops shrivel and die from lack of rainfall across the country food prices will undoubtedly go up in the months to come. First will be prices on short cycle commodities like eggs, poultry and milk; followed by spikes in meat and other products that utilize corn or corn by-products in their processing.
Now is the time to stock up on items that could be out of your reach in the future. It is also the time to get serious about growing your own food. In many parts of the country there is still time to plant short term crops like root veggies and salad greens. It is also a good time to plan your fall and winter garden, taking advantage of seeds that may be on sale now.
Take advantage of summer sales on meat and lay aside items that you don’t or can’t raise yourself. I’m keeping an eye on beef and pork sales, both commodities that will be hit hard by the current crop disasters. Even if I do decide to raise a pig this fall it will be months before I can enjoy the fruits of that labor. Filling in gaps now will keep me eating well until my own pig is in the freezer.
If possible, stock up on livestock feed you can use in the next few months, pushing out the sticker shock that’s bound to come. Non-molasses based feeds like lay mash, lay pellets, pig chow and the like will take a big jump in price as the corn and other grain crops wither in the fields. Be cautious with molasses feeds though as they can go rancid if not used in a timely manner.
Speaking of other grains, they too will likely follow suit, or food distributors will take full advantage of increasing prices on corn and jump on the price-hike bandwagon, pushing prices higher to make a bigger profit. Stocking up on wheat, flour, corn meal, rice, barley, millet, etc. could help keep your family eating well over the winter months.
Remember too, grains are long term crops, meaning they take months to go from just planted seeds to a harvestable crop. A decrease in price is not likely to be seen until mid- to late- 2013, if at all. I can still remember the huge jump local fruit prices took during a grocery store strike in the early 2000’s. Prices went from under a dollar a pound for most fruits to almost $2.00 a pound and prices have never come back down. Disaster situations, like the current drought, seem to be a way for food manufacturers to increase prices whether or not the products are directly affected by market conditions. What goes up does not always come down.
This is also a great time to reevaluate how you use the food you grow or buy. Americans throw away millions of dollars worth of food because they buy more than they can use, don’t store it properly or just don’t plan to use it before it goes bad. Buying less per trip could be a solution in managing your grocery budget. Getting creative about using up everything you buy is also another tactic to keep your food budget under control.
At our homestead we try to plan meals that use up bits of leftovers to serve filling and satisfying dishes. It’s amazing how small amounts of leftovers or fresh items can be transformed into an entire meal. Case in point…tonight we will be enjoying a skillet full of beef stroganoff made from a few mushrooms, half an onion, a small amount of chuck I bought in the clearance meat section, beef broth made and frozen last winter and a dab of sour cream. I always have noodles in the pantry and a small piece of French bread and a small salad of fresh greens will round out a perfect budget meal.
Stay tuned, folks. As times get tougher you’ll see a lot more tips on how we stretch our food dollars and make the most of what we buy.
Mason Jar Meals
Warm summer nights are the perfect time to enjoy the freshness of the garden — when clear skies beckon and staying inside seems impossible. This is also the time of year when many towns and cities explode with outdoor activities like concerts-in-the-park, art shows, plays and festivals. It’s a time to sit around a lake and let the cool summer air drift over you or lull around listening to the crashing sounds of ocean waves. So grab your picnic basket and stake your claim on the great outdoors with a well worn quilt and a pile of soft, plump pillows. Surround yourself with family and friends and an iced cold glass of fresh lemonade or tea.
Take the garden with you with fresh seasonal salads, which are more easily transportable and attractive when packed in a single serving Mason jar. Try a tangy and aromatic salad featuring a medley of heirloom tomatoes, haricot verts, Persian cucumbers, sweet Vidalia onions and shallots tossed in light champagne vinaigrette and topped with fresh minced dill, basil and oregano. How about a sweet Asian cucumber salad, a Greek salad of tomatoes, cumbers and onions, or, use your favorite veggie combination to make your own creations. Paired with a crusty bread and fresh made cheese it’s bound to make any sultry summer night even better.
Moonlight Yoga and Moving On
I had the most wonderful evening last night. My dear friend, Anne, and I went to a moonlight yoga class at the beach. What a wonderful experience. We got to the park, over looking the ocean at about 7:45pm. The weather was cool and the fog was just beginning to roll in off the calm sea. The grass had just been mowed and the smell of sweetness mixed with the salt air made the evening even more relaxing. The class started out slowly with lots of easy stretches and deep breathing; just what I needed after these last few weeks of hectic schedules and preparations for Brianne leaving for college next month.
As the class progressed I could feel the tension in my body drift away. I have to admit I did think about my ability to move the next day, but frankly didn’t care I was having too much fun. The sun began to set and the fog thickened as we moved into longer and more difficult poses. We breathed in the damp air, looked out over the horizon and watched the stars get brighter. The moon began to shine, hanging low over the horizon. It was amazing…cool air, stars, moon, crashing waves. By the time the class finished darkness had fallen completely. We laid on our mats for a few moments longer, not wanting to leave this quiet place.
When I woke this morning I had none of the feared aches and stiffness I expected. I was refreshed and rejuvenated, eager to start a new day and a new way of living. This is my beginning of a life that does not revolve around sheep and shows and a daughter.
And, I am beginning in earnest. My long awaited greenhouse now has a floor and the walls will be finished by the end of the weekend. I will post pictures as we go. I’m excited about all of it. I can now keep my gardening supplies all in one place and the planned for patio on the front will be a nice place to sit and look out over the garden area. There’s so much I want to do there doesn’t seem to be time for it all, but I’m having fun making plans and setting projects in motion.
I’ll raise a glass tonight as I enjoy a country western swing concert followed by our annual fireworks display. Here’s to moving on into a new stage of life!
Happy 4th of July!!
I, like anyone, likes a good holiday. It means a day off work, more time on the farm, free time to do something new or time to spend with family and friends. But, the older I get the more I look back at how the life I lead today was but a dream for most a few hundred years ago. We in our modern world can’t even imagine the struggles our forefathers had to endure, the drive it took to carve out a living in a new and uncertain world, the strength it took to stand firm to their convictions. We have so much in our fast-paced instance gratification world that we often times lose sight of the enormity of what people went through to make our country free. So, as we party and BBQ and watch the colorful array of fireworks this fine summer day let’s not forget how it all came to be, how much we have to lose and how grateful we should be.
Enjoy my friends. And have a safe and wonderful holiday.
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