The Agriculture Re-Boom Is Coming (Food shortages and the sunspot cycle)

Seeking Alpha ^ | May 26, 2009 | Andrew Mickey

[saganite]

This sounds like a typical hard sell from a broker but I'm posting it because I'm interested in the stats he publishes about current corn planting in the corn belt and the status of other food crops. I know there are plenty of Freepers with firsthand knowledge of farming conditions. What say you? Fear mongering or not?

[rellimpank]

—bflr—

[bill1952]

I’ve been saying something along this line for awhile now and I’m not selling anything.

Cue the know nothings to rush in and state that food prices will be just fine while food is converted to fuel, in 3, 2, 1...

[GQuagmire]

later reading self ping

[Red_Devil 232]

Weekly Gardening Thread

PING.

[rellimpank]

—a potential source of info—

—http://www.nass.usda.gov/

[Daisyjane69]

If there is a gardening “ping” list, I’d be happy to added, if it’s not too much bother!

:)

(I’m an OSU Master Gardener)

[MrPiper]

I have stock piled enough dried beans and rice to eat for years, now if I could just figure out how to use flatulence for fuel ;-P

[saganite]

i know huge tracts of California farmland are out of production because of the court decision to reduce available water for irrigation to protect that fish. I also know that corn is being produced for ethanol and if corn production declines as the article speculates and the federal mandate rises to a 15% blend as the ethanol producers want then shortages are a certainty.

[Red_Devil 232]

You have been added.

[ClidePenbroke]

William Herschel correlated high wheat prices with low sunspot activity some time ago. The experiment has been repeated by others at various times with similar results. a google search of wheat prices and sunspots brings up some of them.

[usconservative]

I know there are plenty of Freepers with firsthand knowledge of farming conditions. What say you? Fear mongering or not?

I live in Illinois, far outside Chicago surrounded by farmfields. The assessment that 80% of the fields are typically planted by now is correct. It's been very wet here all spring and during my travels around the county I haven't seen much planting going on. None of the farmfields within 20 minutes of my home have been planted yet, and that is very unusual. Many still have the corn stalks from last year which haven't been tilled over for planting yet this year.

I think the article is less fear mongering and more someone who's done their homework, at least from where I sit and my limitied view of what's around me.

One other point on top of the article: E85 is almost the same price as regular unleaded gasoline here. It used to be on average forty five to fifty cents a gallon cheaper, but not anymore. Wonder if that's related to the observations the article makes?

[saganite]

Thanks. I found the info there that he’s quoting and the corn crops in Illinois and Indiana are indeed very far behind the 5 year planting average. Here’s the link.

http://www.nass.usda.gov/QuickStats/PullData_US.jsp

[EBH]

Cool link. There’s a way to see the stats compared over the last 5 years. Ohio has only 39% of its corn planted. Looks like it goes in the ground this week or not at all. The 39% is only about half the 5 year norm. if I am reading the chart correctly.

[TxBec]

please add me as well. thanks

[Diana in Wisconsin]

“Every politician would vow to do something about it. Every major media news outlet would be all over the story.”

And it would STILL be President Bush’s fault, LOL!

[saganite]

Thanks. That’s the kind of info I was looking for and unfortunately your observations back up the article.

[Venturer]

Gee: They might even decide to drill for oil right here in America.

[Red_Devil 232]

You have been added. The weekly gardenin thread is posted every Friday. Do a search on the keyword - weekly - and you will see the last two threads.

[P8riot]

I only have 1/3 of my corn planted. I’m planting my second crop in another week, and the third in about a month.