Posted on 10/13/2011 10:39:48 AM PDT by Kartographer
Remember hearing something about a drought across parts of the US this year? If you buy anything with peanuts, you’re about to see the effects of a low harvest caused by the drought. Get ready for some high food prices, they are on their way.
Normally I do not subscribe to the doom-and-gloom predictions, but I am seeing it first hand.
Drought
Farmers here in Texas are losing crops, and having to sell their cattle because grass is not growing. Texas and Louisiana agreed to allow wide loads of hay to be transported between the 2 states. Here in Jasper County Texas, I see trailers loaded down with rolls of hay going through the city on a regular basis. Importing hay from Louisiana is one of the few options cattlemen have right now.
Because of farmers selling off their cattle herds, the price of beef might be artificially low right now. If the sale of cattle starts to slow down, we might see the price of beef jump.
(Excerpt) Read more at survivalboards.com ...
Underestimation can be fatal.”
Preppers PING!
I am getting ready. Will be self sufficient in many ways by this time next year except for energy. Looking into windmills for power.
Please add me to your PING list. Thanks.
Seems like excessive rain has been the problem in Texas lately. Maybe it’s too little, too late.
I’m posting the rest because I wanted to see how he was going to get to the peanut butter riots. Apparently, he doesn’t, except in an attenuated, speculative way.
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Young and old trees are turning brown and dying. Back in February of 2011 my kids and I planted some oak trees at the Bug Out Location. Due to the lack of rain fall, and not being able to make regular trips to the camp to water the trees, the leaves have turned brown and the baby trees might die.
According to USDA figures, in 2010 raw peanuts cost about $450 a ton, currently prices stand at $1,150 a ton. Here is a chart from the USDA showing a steady increase in price over the past year
Rumors are going around that peanut prices are supposed to go up somewhere in the 50% range by the end of October. Even if prices do not go up 50%, and you buy a bunch of peanut butter, you can use the use the stuff to make peanut cookies over the holidays.
We are not talking about the drought just affecting Texas. States all across the south, all the way into Oklahoma are being affected.
To make matters worse, weathermen are predicting this drought could last another 10 years. I hope the predictions are wrong, but to be on the safe side, we have to plan for the worst.
Civil Unrest
Most US citizens are already pissed off about the bank bailouts, president obama acting like a sock-puppet, I wonder how much more the public is going to take before riots start to happen? People can only be pushed “so” far before there is a breaking out. I suspect OccupyWallStreet is only the start of the protest. If food prices continue to go up faster then the rate of inflation, something will have to give.
Another thing I suspect, the younger generation will take the lead in the revolt – these are the people who have been lied to the most. Our younger generation has been told if you go to school, build up massive student debt, you will be able to find a job, pay off the debt, buy a home, get married, and raise a family.
But now the truth is coming out. Our job base has been moved offshore and most of the people leaving college have no hope on getting a job. The American dream has been packaged and shipped to china, curiosity of the federal government.
While the federal government bails out the banks, the everyday people have been left with a tax debt that can never be paid back. Sooner or later the federal government is going to have to have a major policy change. We have money to spend overseas, but we do not have money to feed the hungry, our house the homeless. There is something wrong with a nation that would rather feed children in another country, then to feed our own children.
Lets say that this drought come back next year, and the federal government has to buy grain or corn from another country, what is going to happen to our debt then? When the government is broke, how are we going to pay our bills when something comes up? I guess the federal reserve will fire up the printing presses and print off a few billion dollars to buy grain with.
“Something” sooner or later is going to give.
Food Shortages
A worse case situation that I see, is for there to be food shortages and the US federal government being unable to buy food from other countries. The US has been called the breadbasket of the world.
Very few people living in the US have seen a real food shortage – unless you have traveled to other countries. But lets say that the average person is someone who went to high school, and either went into the work force or went to college. For most of us, we are used to going to a fast food place and ordering a cheese burger.
How would most people react if the grocery store shelves were empty? Would they act like a spoiled child and start throwing a fit? Instead of throwing themselves on the floor kicking and screaming, adults would probably resort to violence.
Violence is the last resort of the weak minded. Those that have not seen the writing on the wall and prepared their families, will probably resort to violence first.
The writing is on the wall:
Unemployment is up
People are protesting in the streets
Prices of essential goods are going up – food and fuel
Post your comments in this forum thread about the price of peanuts going up.
Now for a video about storing your SHTF survival gear.
Except it wasn't caused by the drought. It was caused by Government subsidies distorting the free market.
And the payoff: The Youtube video at the end of the article. :-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYDQgYjpbsc&feature=player_embedded
Just like that darned 80 year drought that kept the Russians from all retiring early in their socialist paradise. Yeah, that’s it!
Wrong. Beef prices are not low and will not get any lower. Our excess beef is being sent to China. Next year, when ranchers start to build up their herds, prices will skyrocket due to the low numbers of heifers.
Texas is seeing a drop of 80% in their shrimp catch. It could be due to the hot weather or the oil spill or disease or who knows what.
Worried about the price of peanuts? Grow your own. They're the easiest food source to grow. At one time we had a peanut farm but here's a cute little story for the rest of you. When Jr. was little, his pre-school teacher had the kids plant raw peanuts in styrofoam cups. When the plants were ready to be transplanted, Jr. brought his home to put into the backyard garden. There were 4 little plants in the cup and he was so proud of them. They all grew and at the end of the season we had a freezer full of peanuts for snacking, baking, and for grinding into peanut butter. A few years later, that group of kids were in 4-H so we did a cooking segment with every dish from appetizer to dessert containing peanuts.
Thanks!
I should have pointed out the link.
Makes me feel very much the novice!
No excessive rain in my area.
It rained out the Rangers-Tigers games a couple times. I’m blaming Detroit’s crappy hitting on that.
Oh, BS!
It is too late. Texas has had the first rains in months this last week but it’s waaaay past too late. The trees are already dead so are nothing but tinder for the next wildfire. The grass has long since died. It’s too late to plant crops. Livestock tanks still aren’t full even if the ranchers had feed. The lakes and rivers so low that that fishing and tourism stink. Even if you can find an operating boat ramp, there’s too many hazards near the surface. Many businesses that rely on the rivers for their customers are closing. We are still under fire bans and water restrictions. Outside watering is either banned or limited with $1500 fines and people have been asked to cut back on household water useage. The aquifer our well is on is running slow and low. The water authority and old times are predicting 3-12 years or longer of this.
LOL! Everyone helped with the cooking and all left stuffed. Not one parent called their lawyer and not one kid died. Amazing, huh.
Same reports here along the Alabama and Mississippi coasts. Down 80%!
No, no according to Obama this is all the result of ATM machines.
A freezer full from 4 plants? That’s a nice yield! I might have to look into that to see if they’ll grow up here.
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