Posted on 04/26/2011 8:18:44 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Carnivores, brace yourself for even steeper food price hikes this year than originally forecast. The unholy trinity of rising feed prices, spiking oil costs — it takes money to transport food from farm to table — and increased global demand has pushed the U.S. Department of Agriculture to ratchet up some of its 2011 food price forecasts, with beef and pork prices getting the most costly upward revisions.
Here’s how you might want to rethink your food intake/grocery shopping to deal with the expected price increases:
Stick with chicken. At the start of the year, the USDA said it expected beef prices would rise 4.5 percent to 5.5 percent this year. The new forecast is for a price jump of 7 percent to 8 percent. And it’s not like you haven’t already been paying up, as beef prices are already 12.2 percent higher than they were a year ago. If you’ve got a yen for pork, that’s going to cost you more as well. The USDA has changed its 2011 forecast of a 6 percent price hike for pork to a new expected range of 6.5 percent to 7 percent. Over the past 12 months, pork prices have already increased 11.2 percent.
In news that the chicken lobby is no doubt already plotting an ad campaign around, though, the price hike for chicken remains quite benign: the 2011 forecast stays unchanged at 2.5 to 3.5 percent. If going with chicken doesn’t appeal, it may be time to load up the garage freezer with beef and pork; at least you can lock in today’s prices for at least a few months.
Steam, rather than sauté or fry: The USDA also raised its estimate for inflation for fats and oils by a full percentage point to 6 percent to 7 percent....
(Excerpt) Read more at moneywatch.bnet.com ...
We are looking at adding chickens too, I guess the greenes might win, we will have chickens and beef cattle.............LMAO!
we got three inches of snow this morning...*sigh*
I’m pretty good with the tuna...100 cans or so....some canned beef from Costco and a few cans of Dak type ham....but my husband also hunts and even though its NOT cost effective, its his love and hopefully he’ll get a nice, big elk this year....
Stay on the outside edge of the grocery store....first go see what is on sale in the meat/fish dept. Try halving some of meat/fish in your recipes...it taste the same and is just as filling, and then you can re-freeze the other half for another meal. Do not over look the frozen meal dept, they often mark down the frozen meals for cheaper than you can make yourself. Stock up on good strong staples such as rice, beans, noodles, canned soup, tuna on sale etc... for recipes. For short term meals for one week, buy fresh fruits and veggies that are marked down. For longer term veggies, buy extra cans of whatever is on sale that you like. There are at least 1 million low cost meal recipes you can get online. Get creative in the kitchen and have fun with it.
Heeeeeerrrrre Kitty Kitty.
/johnny
For about 3 months last year, squirel was the main dish around here. You can bet that I thanked the Lord for that food. Most food preferences are cultural. Very nearly ALL food avoidances are.
I consider 'food' to be anything that a sizeable percentage of the population of the earth eats, or has eaten in the last 3000 years, as a regular or staple food item.
Squirrel is still eaten by a significant portion of the US population today. Much more so, less than 100 years ago.
/johnny
I just want to know how is the hope and change thing working out for everyone?
Walmart has end caps filled with Spam
Stacks of Beans and Rice
But everyone wanted hope and change
I have no hope and want my change that wont even buy me a cup of coffee at this point.
I’m already spending less than $20.00 a week just to save money and that’s without a garden. Believe me it’s more than a stretch but I’m doing this to stock up otherwise.
Now about that raised deck garden in this article....can’t one just line an area with brick and plastic and accomplish the same thing? I’m garden illiterate.
Does anyone know how meat could be stored in freezer without getting that freezer burn on it. I had a few pieces of chicken I stored in the freezer in a Glad storage bag but when I wanted some chicken it smell awful then I notice some freezer burn on the meat and when I cooked it. It tasted terrible instead of tasting the meat I could taste the burnt. Any suggestions?
Hey...how did you find out that about your “enzymes?” My doc finally suggested I follow the caveman diet....and I’ve been a much happier person....
I could eat it if I have to.....but, I’d rather have fish, even trout that I don’t really like....or rabbit....you are right....things are “cultural”....luckily, if we get to the point of squirrels...it’ll make our dog VERY happy...she can catch them.
I can navigate a kitchen in a 4-star restaurant, or run a Wireless ISP, but gardening, except for this part of my world, where I KNOW what works and has worked for almost 100 years is beyond me.
Find a freeper in the same general area that's a regular on the garden thread.
/johnny
I can make shredded squirrel on biscuits with gravy that you would ask for seconds for. And we're not talking about biscuits from a can. Or gravy from a packet.
As for trout, that's a delicacy here for me. I'm too far south.
Rabbit is just normal food, as far as I'm concerned. Not great, because it's too lean, too dry, and needs to much work to taste like anything but cardboard. Quail are much better.
I am an American. I can and do eat the foods that our forefathers ate. And am just as grateful for the meal.
/johnny
All I know is somehow plants have to cross polinate or they won’t grow right. I suspect you have to have a certain number of plants for that to happen. As well as how far apart to plant...how often to water and how much. What to fertilize with....Sheesh this really does get involved. But I want to at least try.
My imagination would be to throw the dirt in, followed by the seed packets, add water and stir...and let the sunshine do the rest. Ha!
Nah....I just grew up with a palate that didn’t like the fishiness....and I still don’t care for clams, oysters, etc...it has to be cooked JUSt right...my husband cooked trout once for me and it was rather good....but he’s a catch and release fisherman now...LOL...for now. Squirrels just seem so scrawny to me....maybe you have bigger ones where you are....quail doesn’t sound bad, but I’ve never had it. Don’t care much for venison either (had a LOT for a couple years in my teens)....guess I’m too well fed...until I’m REALLY hungry...I’d eat whatever I had or could get. Thanks...you gave me ideas, though.
You probably left some air in the bag.
A. Use Zip-LokTM storage bags, not the twist-tie style bags.
B. Mostly seal the bag leaving a small gap to press out the remaining air, or better yet, use a cocktail straw and suck out the last of the air. Complete the seal & date it.
C. Place your batch of meat on the floor/bottom of the freezer, stacking any already frozen goods on top. After an hour or so, re-arrange the freezer, flipping over your newly packaged meat so the upper side now faces down. This helps ensure the meat freezes evenly.
Bon appétit
What you can do? Easy, stop eating, prole.
Of course, the commissars will always have low prices on a wide variety of goods at State Stores, but don’t even THINK of walking in the door unless you’re AT LEAST a party secretary.
You have to get some kind of vacuum sealer to get the air out so freezer burn will not occur (or be extremely minimal). I’d recommend ziploc’s manual pump with premade bags. The electric sealers all require power and they are built cheaper today and the bag rolls are more expensive than if you buy the manual pump and premade bags. Amazon you can find great bulk deals.
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