Food Staples Inflation - It's True

**warramra** · 08-20-2007, 10:17 PM

I was just doing some web-surfing this evening and found this to be interesting and qualifies what I have been thinking. No wonder my food budget keeps being adjusted up even though I tend to buy staples vs convenience.

2007 Food Inflation

**warramra** · 08-20-2007, 10:24 PM

I also want to add that I in No Way blame farmers for the prices...I understand they are pinched just as everyone is. I just thought that it confirms that yes our groceries are becoming more expensive and I am going to have to take it into account from here out and no longer just think of it as a temporary blip.

**dcompton** · 08-20-2007, 10:38 PM

Good article. It's nice to see our "impressions" verified. Every grocery store trip seems to be another experience in sticker shock. It was interesting to see eggs up there. At the store last night I was thinking, "You want HOW much for a dozen plain old chicken eggs?" But I needed eggs so I plunked it down. Stockpiling looks more sensible every day.

**YankeeMom** · 08-20-2007, 10:45 PM

I'm about to go buy me some chickens!!!

Do they have to have commercial feed?

**OzFreeBird** · 08-20-2007, 10:46 PM

Amy, its really pleasing to see this article and its great you've shared it. Thankyou!

The same has been happening in Australia for over 12 months now and very few people seem to be realising that although they have the money to pay for a new plasma screen (with debt), they don't have the money to power it, or for the toasted sandwich they make to eat in front of it. Big business have dumbed us all down; the keeping up with the Jonses psyche is alive and well - buy this TV screen to make you happy. Once the goods leave the store and are paid for (with credit), that is the end of any businesses' duty of care as to whether you can service the debt by purchasing their products. Food is far more important than material THINGS, but so few of us realise it.

We are fast approaching a critical point in societal thinking where people realise that you can't eat consumer discretionary assets (like TVS, cars). We all need staples to survive and these price rises are just the tip of the iceberg, IMHO. We all have to start forming co-ops to buy direct from farmers for cereal staples; everyone can grow a few vegies; car pool to buy groceries; teach other families food preserving skills; some of us even have space for chickens or a few goats for milk; all of these things make for more freedom, more independence, and less reliance on the government and the supermarkets, who bleed us dry.

The faster people revert to self sufficiency and community barter/exchange, the better prepared we will be for the "future" and the less dependent we will be on government and big businesses.

**mickee311** · 08-20-2007, 10:46 PM

I agree, Donna. That's why I started stockpiling just this month. Some of the staples are gettnig absolutely ridiculous! I plan to bust the heck outta my grocery budget for a few monthsto avoid paying higher prices later on for a while. And another reason why I'm getting a deep freezer.

**dcompton** · 08-20-2007, 10:46 PM

I agree this is not the fault of the farmers. Or even the grocery stores -- their costs are up too.

**jinx** · 08-20-2007, 10:55 PM

Thanks for the article. Just stated what I already knew. Prices are going up. My weekly grocery bill justified that. It is too bad it is the staples that are going up. I too do not blame the farmers for the increase in prices.

**warramra** · 08-20-2007, 11:08 PM

Originally Posted by YankeeMom

I'm about to go buy me some chickens!!!

Do they have to have commercial feed?

I keep telling my husband that I want laying hens, and bees, and rabbits. Unfortunately those are the only 'livestock' we are allowed to have anymore.

It has just been such a bad year here for any sense of self-sufficiency and the local farmers are suffering also. Major drought and extreme high temps for the last month are just burning the crops in the ground while retention ponds are drying up. Add onto that the fact that local bee populations have been decimated by a particular beetle so certain plants are having trouble with pollination. Even with watering, my plants are stunted and just not producing. I am actually having to buy zuchinni and tomatoes this year.

After some reading on how milk may not actually be good for us, I've already reduced our milk usage this summer to what I believe is a more reasonable rate (1 cup per day). That, at least, is helping there.

**frugalfarmwife** · 08-20-2007, 11:16 PM

Originally Posted by YankeeMom

I'm about to go buy me some chickens!!!

Do they have to have commercial feed?

Mine are free range and self feeding, makes for GOOD eggs! They also snitch feed from the cows and horses, the turkeys are the same.

LOL, I'd LOVE to see you neighbors face if you had chickens!!

And yes, the dairy farmers did FINALLY get a raise, but it was to late for many of them here, their farms are gone, developed with "McMansions", a lot of the land here has been developed, it seems no one is thinking long term anymore

kj

**freyadog** · 08-21-2007, 12:21 AM

I tell ya what.....My dh and I have a stockpile of at least 2 years, that is without scrimping on meals and 3 years if we tighten the ole' belt. Even with prices rising the way they are we are still buying what we see and try not to dip into our stockpile. we do rotate and make dang sure that what we are buying is a good deal. When prices started rising about 4 years ago dh and I started storing supplies. We do not buy anything anymore that is not on sale. Our price book keeps us on track. Yes with the amount of food etc. we have put away does give us an edge on buying or not to buy only when it is a sale. And we do without if we run short on something until it comes down to a price that we are willing to pay. And if the price doesnt come down we just change directions and buy something else.

Neither of us are picky eaters well except eggplant and green peppers.YUCK...

anyway I believe that the farmer is going to be the one who gets the shaft in all of this. His hands are pretty well tied behind his back and it is a shame that the people who actually feed us are in such dire straits. They are living on very little and are more than likely in worse shape that we are in. If our farmer dies out where are we going to get our food? China?

Our summer garden was terrible. everything was stunted due to lack of rain but we managed enough to where we have fresh veggies everyday. not a bumper crop but enough so that we have not had to dip into our stock. how much longer any of us will be able to hold out is anybodies guess and all we can do is try just a tad harder to pinch those pennies. plenty of pasta, beans and cornbread will be on many tables before long if that.

this is turning into a real serious situation with no end in sight. I was going to buy a roast the other day at the grocery. a roast about the size of my hand was almost 12$. if I had bought that roast and cooked it it would have been probably the size of an orange when it was done. I cant pay it and I dont intend to try. If there are people out there that the price doesnt matter hey... more power to them. but...when the economy falls flat on its face they will be the jumpers.

well enough said...Bless this board and all who come through its doors. we shall overcome.

**mommy4ever** · 08-21-2007, 12:49 AM

I'd love to have laying chickens, and a few other things. Like getting a calf at auction and having it butchered, just once a year. But we live in the city, so I can't our bylaws forbid it.

I'm thinking that once we have the house paid off, we consider an acreage again close to a town where the kids can still have some activities and we can raise some animals.

BUT, in the next breath, if I have nothing but utilities and groceries to pay, will it be an issue? I'm thinking not.

And, I did find a coop where you give 20 hours work and you get fresh organic produce. I wouldn't mind doing that. I think that is the wiser way, team up with existing farms and offer them some help in exchange for some of the crop.

I feel for those making little in terms of income. Here in canada we don't have a WIC program, there is a food bank, but you pretty much need to be destitute to qualify. I have no idea how it works.

I wish we would go further to socialism, like Sweden, and really provide for the people, the families. Capitalism has it's place, but it shouldn't be at the expense of it's people. (totally different topic).

**Lori Biever-Launder** · 08-21-2007, 12:54 AM

I find it interesting that eggs went up 19.5% but chicken went up only 10%. Weird...

**OzFreeBird** · 08-21-2007, 03:48 AM

Originally Posted by Lori Biever-Launder

I find it interesting that eggs went up 19.5% but chicken went up only 10%. Weird...

I think that might be related to consumer demand for eggs vs. chicken. We tend to eat more eggs per week than chickens per week ie: you might have one chicken meal per week but for a family of 4, go through 2 cartons of eggs in omlettes, soups, whatever. Therefore eggs would be more in demand per capita.

**TheRootedNomad** · 08-21-2007, 06:59 AM

I never really thought about having chickens before......makes me wonder.....Do you have to have a rooster to get eggs???? (can ya tell I didn't grow up on a farm) LOL!