I have been hearing rumors of food shortages caused by the rains and floods this past spring. Several folks have told me about Walmart stores posting signs about shortages in their canned vegetable aisles. So I decided to do my own research.
I have seen several pictures posted of the Walmart signs. I have read many articles about the flood damage to farms, fields, livestock and grains that were stored in grain bins that are now ruined.
I have watched opinion videos and read blogs on the subject. Opinions range from "We're all gonna die!" to "Move along. Nothing to see here."
Me...I go by facts.
The fact is that millions of acres were flooded in the middle of planting season. Some farmers were able to finally get into their fields to plant and others could not. Whether we have a decent harvest is going to depend on the weather come fall.
The fact is that many, many cattle, sheep, hogs and poultry were killed by the flood waters and much of the reserved livestock feed was lost. Whether the livestock industry can recover remains to be seen. But I do expect meat prices to go up. It takes longer to build up a herd of cattle than it does to raise a field of corn. I would guess that eggs and dairy prices may also be affected.
As far as the shortages in the vegetable aisles of Walmart, it could be that the company is actually unable to keep their shelves full.
Or there could be a clever person in the corporate office marketing department who knew that if the stores posted signs alluding to shortages, people would rush to stock up 'while they still could.' I was reminded of the 'Great Toilet Paper Scare of 1973' when Johnny Carson, host of the then popular Tonight Show, made a joke about a toilet paper shortage. Within a week the store shelves were empty of TP.
So how will I handle these rumors? Well, I do not believe we are headed into famine territory. I do believe that we may see real shortages and more likely, corporations taking advantage of the rumors to raise prices. I will not dash out, hair on fire, to grab what I can from store shelves. I have, however, asked my youngest son to do some shopping at Sam's Club for me, picking up fairly large quantities of chicken, hamburger and beef roast to be canned in various ways. I may add to the list some link breakfast sausage and brats, as I want to can those as well. With what I already have on my shelves, that will give me plenty of meat to use in making all sorts of meals.
Many of you who visit here often know that due to physical limitations, I use a grocery delivery service every two weeks for my normal grocery shopping. My order that will be delivered this coming Thursday includes twelve 1 lb. bags of dry Great Northern beans, half of which will be used to make and can another batch of baked beans. The rest will be saved for ham and bean soup to can later. I also am ordering 6 bags each of frozen whole kernel corn and cut green beans, both to dehydrate. And 10 lbs. of potatoes to slice and dehydrate.
My crystal ball is broken, so I have no real way to know what the future holds. So on the chance that the predictions come true, it makes sense to me to go ahead and get food now while prices aren't through the roof. And if nothing happens, I am still ahead with more food added to my food storage.
For the life of me, I just can not understand why so few refuse to plan ahead when it comes to food. We saw pictures and video on the news showing the devastation the floods caused. Even the main stream media carried interviews with farmers who lost everything. And long before that, there were the pictures of people digging in dumpsters looking for food after a hurricane. When will it occur to some that after a disaster, someone from the government is not going to show up with a sandwich and a bottle of water. The government is in charge of politics. We are in charge of feeding our families.
Keep on prepping.
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Plan ahead? You must be joking: it's all about instant gratification these days, don'tcha know.
ReplyDeleteSilly me, Rev. Paul...I completely forgot that common sense has left the building. My Dad told me, "If you want it, work for it." Smart man, my Dad.
DeleteWell written. Thank-you for the post.
ReplyDeleteFor my part, I went back to Safeway this morning for another 12 cans of the sale vegetables. I also picked a colander's worth of free blackberries at my favorite spot. I'll eat some fresh and freeze the rest.
I'm just keeping at it and doing what I can on any given day to further my preps.
Cheers, SJ
Thank you, SJ...That's all we can do is to keep on prepping. Those who don't or won't are going to wish they had, I'm afraid. Nice score on the veggies.
DeleteWe saw similar signs in both the produce and canned vegetable sections of our local grocery this afternoon :(
ReplyDeletesbrgirl...I hadn't heard about shortages in the produce section. I have heard that items made with corn might become hard to find. One video I saw showed that there were plenty of flour tortillas on the grocery store shelf, but no corn tortillas. I guess time will tell just how serious this is.
DeleteI think you have it exactly right, Vicki.
ReplyDeleteGorges...I don't know what will happen, but the potential is there for problems. And I would rather have too much than not enough.
DeleteI truly don't think this is going to last long, if at all. The shelves in all the stores I have been in are well-stocked. However, I do keep buying food. I am not going to pretend a few cans are sufficient for the future. Extra cans do not rot. The worst result of the rain was celery for $4.98/bunch. The price finally went down to $1.79 or something similar at Publix. I have some dried, but I just wanted the crunch in potato salad and tuna salad.
ReplyDeleteLinda...I don't know if there will be any shortages or high prices, but I don't want to take a chance. Because I can't easily get out to check the stores myself, I rely on what others tell me. I see by my grocery receipt that most items I buy are still fairly reasonable for my area, except meat. Sam's Club meat - at least what I am buying - is close to half the price of the grocery store. I'll just have to wait and see what happens, and continue, like you do, to add to my food storage as I am able to.
DeleteVicki~ A few months ago, a local market had US grown boneless pork loin for $1.59 a pound for one day. I went at 6:00 a.m. and picked up four. When I got home one was ground up for meatloaf, one was tossed into the slow cooker to become pulled pork and the last two were sliced into chops, vacuum sealed and frozen. One of my sisters thinks I'm nuts for having food storage, and making 95% of my meals from scratch. Red
ReplyDeleteRed...Don't feel bad. If everyone I know who thinks I'm nuts for having so much food storage were to decide to tell me so in one day, they would have to stand in line and take a number! :)
DeleteThat was a great score on the pork loin. I kind of did something similar a few years ago - cut some into chops, canned some cubed and some in large pieces for pork roast and also canned pulled pork. I'm still eating off that pork sale.
I haven't decided just how to preserve the meat my son is picking up for me, but whatever I do with it, when I open a jar several years from now, I will be eating meat at today's prices. They are not going to be any cheaper unless there is a great sale.
Here in Minnesota, whenever a winter storm is forecast, people rush to the grocery for food to last until the blizzard is done. I don't have to do that. I can sit in my cozy apartment and watch the snow fall, knowing I have plenty to eat. If for no other reason, I will continue to have food storage, and I really don't care how others see me. I'm sort of ornery that way. :)
I think that chicken can be raised the fastest. then turkeys, pork and finally beef. Remember the egg shortage about 2 or 3 years ago. One farm near us has doubled in size since then. I don't know how many millions of chicken they have on hand now.
ReplyDeleteI think you are right, Rob...It has been many years since I raised chickens, but I do remember it doesn't take all that long for them to be big enough for butchering. We are lucky that the flooding here wasn't as severe as it was in other parts of the country where so much livestock was lost. I haven't noticed a huge increase in prices. But it irritates me that meat at Cub is way more expensive than at Sam's. My delivery service uses Cub, which is why # 2 son is shopping at Sam's for me. :)
DeleteVicki, there are so many reasons to store food...the savings of time, money, and worry. None of us know what the government officials have in store for us, but if one is fool enough to trust them it probably won't work out well. It is a fact, that fewer crops will be harvested and stored for the coming year. If we should have another year or several more years of similar conditions the problem will worsen. It is also a fact that the government crop reports for corn and soybeans are very delayed. A new updated report will be announced on August 15th, at which time we could have a little better picture of the planted acres and expected per acre yield averages. It won't be until the numbers come in during and following harvest that we will have a better understanding of the consequences from the floods. People can check grain prices at the local elevators by looking on-line. At this time corn is selling for approximately $4 and beans are close to $8 per bushel. The story will unfold from there. One of the largest cooperatives in Iowa is Landus Farmers Cooperative. They have a user friendly site for grain prices. You could begin watching prices there. Of course, it is mostly corn and soybean prices; not fresh vegetables.
ReplyDeleteI think you are doing the right thing by purchasing, canning, and storing food now. I do expect prices will continue to rise. Should this next election go south, think Venezuala and other socialist/communist countries, the people will be controlled through food or lack of...take care, be aware, and continue efforts to prepare. CWfromIowa
CW...You are so right about the many reasons to store food. Sometimes I think it is a difference in generations that is the root cause for so many to be so oblivious. My parent's generation grew up with the mindset of taking care of themselves without, as my Dad often said, "Going begging. " I heard him say, more than once, that he would rather take a beating than to go, hat in hand, and ask for government help. My parents instilled those values in me and I hope I have been successful in passing them on. But there are so many that give no thought at all to what they will do if things suddenly go south and they are left with nothing. I don't trust government officials, either, any farther than I could toss them. Way too many are much more interested in power than in those they are supposed to represent. (Soapbox - back into the corner now.)
DeleteI would be surprised if we don't experience food shortages and rising prices. We know, even without checking corn and soybean prices, that the the spring rains and floods were devastating to so many farmers. So much of our food contains corn and soy that it would be a miracle if the food supply wasn't affected. I am already hearing predictions of an early frost and a bitter winter, particularly in our corner of the world. I pray they are wrong.
I am finding it prudent to store as much as I can now. The future is uncertain - not only because of the weather, but as you say, if the next election goes to the socialist contingent, we will be in a world of hurt. Planning ahead may help. As a self-proclaimed chubby granny, there are limits to what I can accomplish. But every two weeks I order extra flour and sugar. I order a few cans of fruit. I always order items that are shelf stable or that can be canned or dried. I keep experimenting to find better ways to use what I store. I know you are doing the same with what you have to work with, as are many who visit here. That is encouraging. I just wish there were more who understood how important it is to prepare, especially now.
I despise Trump but I would rather he won than a socialist!
ReplyDeleteGood girl, Linda...We may win you over yet. :)
DeleteAs it is, it seems that the Dem candidates all seem to be leaning toward socialism. I have to say that scares me. Somebody has to pay for all the free stuff they want to hand out, and that somebody is us. There are things I don't like about Trump, but I surely do not want us to turn into a socialist country, either.
If there is anyone on a special or restricted diet, you might want to stock up with food you can eat. Vacuum seal it and if you can freeze or can it, do so. King Arthur has regular and bread flour at $4.95 for 5 lb bags with free shipping for orders over $49. I just ordered 50 pounds which will be vacuum sealed and into a bucket it goes. Red
ReplyDeleteGreat reminder about dietary needs, Red...My close family has one with a peanut allergy and another who is diabetic. The diabetic can eat most anything in moderation, but it might be a good thing to have some sugar free items on hand. I don't have peanut oil in my pantry, nor do I use almond or any other nut extract in baking. I like using my home canned food because I know what is in it.
DeleteThanks for the tip on the flour. I have gotten 25 lb. bags of flour at Sam's and have it stored in buckets. Because my oven heats up my whole apartment, I don't bake bread in the summer, but I do the rest of the year and I am down to my last 50 lbs. or so. Might be just as easy to order.
Vicki ~ Other items people need to include are the components for baking. Baking Powder and Soda as they do expire. Same with Yeast, Oils and Fats. Various Salts, Whole Spices, Peppercorns. Plus Seeds. Pet Foods especially for Cats and Dogs that have Urinary Issues. Red
DeleteRed...You are way ahead of the game. Most people think in terms of
Deletecanned food and boxed food like Mac and Cheese or rice and beans, but don't pay attention to what is needed for baking. When hard times come, a pan of brownies will go a long way to ease the pain. I wonder how many these days even know how to bake bread. I buy yeast in vacuum sealed bricks that I store in the freezer. When I open a brick, the yeast goes in a quart jar and that is kept in the freezer as well between bread baking days. The yeast I am using now is 6 years old and still good. Oils are a problem as they can go rancid. That's one reason I can butter. I remember my mother using lard for most of her baking. And Dad fried everything in bacon grease. I am playing with the idea of canning lard as I do butter and maybe bacon grease as well. Both are in my freezer but if we lose power for a long period of time, those would be lost as well.
I don't think a person can store too much salt. I keep both table salt and canning salt. I'm sure you know that folks once preserved meat by salting it down. At the risk of sounding like a tinfoil hat wearing nut, those old ways need to be learned. If things ever do go belly-up, we will really need to know how our ancestors did things.
Spices are more important than most realize. If the time comes when we really have to live on those stores of beans and rice, spices might be what keeps us from going crazy with a diet of bland foods.
Even though I can no longer garden, I have a variety of seeds stashed in my freezer. I do have kids and grands who know how to garden if need be. I even save seeds from grocery store produce like tomatoes, peppers, melons, etc. I know they are not heirloom and chances are good I will not get the same fruit that the seeds came from, but most times they will produce something. I usually sprout a few seeds to make sure they are viable before labeling and storing.
I once had a cat with a urinary infection and was told by the vet to add cranberry powder to her food. Worked like a charm. So now when I make cranberry juice to can, I save the pulp, dehydrate it and then grind it fine. I don't have pets any more, but family members do. And in a pinch, the powder can be made into a tea for adult issues.
My recipe collection includes recipes for homemade pet food. When my dogs had upset tummy problems, my favorite was rice, shredded chicken, canned carrots and green beans mixed. It was easy on their stomachs and usually took care of the problem. I found out the hard way that dry dog food will eventually go rancid. I don't know what to do about that.
Good Lord - I have turned this into a novel. Sorry. But I really like your suggestions. :)
I'm a first time visitor to your blog. Love this post!
ReplyDeletePerhaps I can make a shameless plug for my blog. It's all about food and medical preparedness. PrepSchoolDaily dot blogspot dot com. Have a great day!
Welcome, Jennifer...I just did a quick tour of your blog and I am impressed. I am adding it to my side bar and would like to, with your permission, do a quick post about it. You are an absolute wealth of information that I am sure many of my readers will enjoy.
DeleteI would be thrilled to have you post about my blog! There is great information out there on critical supplies to acquire while we can and skills to obtain and information to have on hand for all the stuff our brains can't remember. But it can be difficult to locate when sifting through all the articles on "27 Survival Items To Buy RIGHT NOW!" that offer nothing more than generalities and links to purchase through Amazon to generate some income. (Not that I'm opposed to generating income, but at least offer something of real substance in the article.)
DeleteNot everything offered on the blog will apply to everyone, but I really try to present good, well-researched material that will hopefully never be of value to any of us because our lives go on smoothly and our society never collapses.
Jennifer...The post is written and is going up within minutes. A resource like yours is invaluable to those of us who are working to get ready for whatever is headed our way. I don't have a huge following. What I have is a group of like minded folks who, over the years, have become friends and who share ideas. I am happy to be able to share with them an excellent resource. Keep up the good work.
Deletedon't know how to preserve enough to keep dog food since it does go rancid could it be dry canned? does that prevent oil from rancidity?
ReplyDeletebaking powder store baking soda and cream of tartar ND MAKE YOUR OWN PREMADE BAKING POWDER EVENTUALLY LOSES ITS PUNCH sorry errant little finger
read that coconut oil can be stored for years without rancidity
if you need meds storing dried herbs and grain alcohol to make tinctures is a good idea also vinegar and bleach tablets should be stored if possible in case bleach and other decontaminants become scarce.
and for sure store salt.