Here is a good site to monitor US drought conditions. What a perfect storm.
Farmers just didn't plant.
If anything, this might return prices to a level that is more reasonable.
Early warmth brought the Michigan fruit trees into bloom early but the blossoms froze and has devastated that crop. They’re saying 90% of the apple and tart cherry crops were wiped out with a 95% loss of the peach crop.
I know my apple trees don’t have a single apple but my pear trees are going to fall over from all the pears on them.
Here in the Pacific Northwest we had a cold, wet June. Finally, on the 5th of July we began to see sunshine.
I don’t know how well this helps orchardists in Wahsington and Oregon, but cherries are now in the markets and look really delicious. Hopefully the wheat crops in eastern Washington and Oregon will have benefited from the rainy weather, too, and yield bountifully this fall.
Interesting beef market hypothesis but you’re a year too late as ranchers sold off herds last year during that drought and haven’t had time to restock to a level for another sell-off.
Big part of Mn they are talking about record yields.
Here in Kentucky our corn crop is taking a real hit. Ironically, it was the largest planting in 25 years. I hope we don’t lose a lot of farmers because of it.
SW Va: haven’t had to mow for a month, hallelujah!
Hay may be going up for the farmers.
http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/long_range/seasonal.php?lead=1
NOAA predicts above average temps across the country through this summer, and average rainfall in most parts.
If you do get a bargain on bulk beef, I highly recommend the following: vacuum pack, sous vide cook, ice water bath and freeze.
Home vacuum packing is very reasonable these days. If you buy beef in bulk, cheaper cuts taste better than steak cuts with sous vide cooking. And once cooked and frozen can last up to a year. Sous vide really holds on to the beefy flavor and odor.
To start with, here is a primer on how to cook sous vide meat.
http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/03/how-to-sous-vide-steak.html
Since most people aren’t going to shell out for a cooker to keep their water temperature at 135F for a couple of hours, it’s best just to use a candy thermometer and check your water every 5 minutes.
If you figure your stored meat is to last for more than six months, you might salt it or add a few drops of rosemary extract prior to sealing.
Cook - Chill - Freeze - Reheat
Season and vacuum several batches of food and cook them all together to save time. Beef, pork and lamb all cook at 135F.
When they’ve finished cooking, quick chill the pouches in an ice water bath (half ice/half water) for at least 30 to 45 minutes.
Label with contents and date and freeze for up to one year.
Reheat the cooked food from a thawed or chilled state at the sous vide temperature for 45 minutes per inch of thickness. If reheating from frozen, allow an additional 30 minutes.
Sear or sauce the food, as usual, if desired.
A personal favorite of mine is stew beef, a 5lb bulk tray split into 1lb vacuum bags. After cooking it still looks rare, but is very tender and flavorful, as well as being ready for many beef recipes.
We’ve been running cows on this ranch for over 100 years, hundreds of thousands have grazed this land during that time and not once have we ever fed corn, nor have any of the other ranches in the area. The only corn these cows ever get is when they knock over my damn deer feeders. Anybody that has to feed daily wasn’t going to stay in business long anyway. We run the feed truck once a week with rangecubes not because they need it but because thats the best way for us to gather them and take count. Last year here in West Texas was the worst I’ve seen in 60 years so we gatherd the boys and went on a prickly pear burning mission. Not only did we save the cows but we cleared allot of cactus out at the same time.
Bump!
In spite of what some folks say on this thread, I am still hearing predictions of falling meat prices. Except probably not chicken, which is expected to rise, time from hatching to market for chicken is under 50 days, so they will immediately be affected by rising grain prices.