10 Grocery Items You May Have Trouble Finding
Today, I have 10 grocery items you may have trouble finding based on various food shortages. Here’s the deal, I observed in my own recent shopping experience that there seem to be fewer supplies of many products, but those same products are higher in price.
The economists will tell you that the economic rules of supply and demand are at play. The prices of food in general are exceeding the cost of living, and it affects all of us, particularly those on a fixed income and those on the low end of income generation. We aren’t faced with having rations of food, but some people are certainly dealing with hunger since they can’t afford some of the foods they would buy to feed their families.
If you eat out more than cook at home, you may not have seen the grocery store shelves with diminished supplies, much of which is due to reduced agricultural production. It’s my understanding that grocery stores stock their shelves on certain days, some stores more often than others. Every store that I talked to had different days and different times of the day. Some stock after midnight and some stock all day long but on a limited basis.
Obviously, it would not be fun stocking around people with grocery carts, so they try to replenish on slow days or very early in the morning. A few stores stated they stock starting at 2:00 a.m. or whenever the scheduled truck with supplies is expected.
Please let me be clear if you see a good buy at your local grocery store, stock up on what you need and in quantities that can be used in a reasonable timeframe. Nothing is worse than having rancid or overly expired food. In case you missed this post, 10 Things You Can Do With Expired Food
According to the USDA, there is no current shortage in our food supply chain. USDA Food Supply Chain, but there sure seems to be some challenges in many stores where I shop. The processes that support our food systems in bringing things to market are going through some challenges, and we see them in reduced inventories at the retail level.
We’ll discuss this in more detail, but some experts are saying this is the most severe drought in1200 years. The New York Times is just one article I read about how bad the drought is. I know, we have to cut back on watering our lawns, but the real issue is the crops we all need for human and livestock food won’t grow without water. The animals need water and their feed needs water to grow. You get the picture, I’m sure.
There are so many global inputs that affect food price increases. There are more people living now, almost twice as many as in 1960. Again, supply and demand dictate that more people will require food. Add to that scenario the fact that we have less land to grow those crops, it proves to be a double whammy as we try to meet increased demand.
There is also the fact that many countries are raising crops to provide more vehicle fuels, not to feed the population. Much of our corn and soy crops now go to the oil industry and the crops turn into fuel additives. With oil production reduced overall due to the move to electric vehicles, political pressure to be part of the “green movement” and away from fossil fuels, and the upheaval from conflicts throughout the world.
Many chemicals come from the same sources as the gas in our cars. With less fossil fuel production, things like chemical fertilizers and insecticides that help provide for more abundant crop harvests are directly affected in an adverse way. Talk about a “perfect storm!”
This is where I buy my seeds rather than relying on my local garden center: SeedsNow Please stock some heirloom seeds, I just ordered enough to feed my family and more.
In case you missed this post, Is There a Corn Shortage? Iowa Derecho Damage
10 Grocery Items You May Have Trouble Finding
Grocery Items
1. Butter
I quote the Deseret News (Utah local newspaper) “Fox reported that farmers are blaming the expensive costs to raise cattle, transportation and energy costs, feed shortages, and some staffing shortages for the increased cost of grocery items. It’s especially difficult to keep up with the production of all dairy products, not just butter. These shortages could affect the whole milk industry.” The high demand for butter just raises the cost of this simple item we all enjoy. In case you missed this post, Butter: Everything You May Not Know
I keep hearing about higher cattle farming costs, including animal feed, and of course labor costs. It’s no wonder the price of butter has gone up and so has the price of milk. You know whipping cream will be more expensive this year, particularly as we approach the holidays. You may want to plan for less cream on that slice of pie over the holidays unless you’re willing to pay more.
2. Wheat/Flour
Ukraine is the main producer of wheat in the world. As we know Russia invaded Ukraine and therefore disrupted the wheat supply entirely. More and more countries are pushing to get their wheat from depleted farm sources. The lack of water due to drought, crop damage from hurricanes and other storms, much fertilizer prices, and the cost to transport grains increases as fuel prices increase have all contributed to shortages and price adjustments. Some may attribute much of this to climate change, but other factors come into play.
The pandemic prompted many manufacturing and processing plants to close down, either temporarily or completely. It also caused labor shortages in all sectors of the economy. We are still feeling the effects of this worldwide event, and probably will for the foreseeable future.
3. Sugar
Sugar comes from two main sources, sugarcane plants, and sugar beet plants. Yes, the US has acreage and production plants to grow and process sugar, but those are under the same price pressures as other crops. Another challenge most of us aren’t aware of is that the US government has some special tariffs in place that restrict the importing of sugar from other countries, particularly from central and south America.
If the US farm industry producing sugar-related crops has an off year, then the effects of those tariffs really come into play. One state that has a significant sugar crop industry is Louisiana. Due to heavy crop damage from storms this past year, much of the sugar harvest didn’t materialize, so less sugar is available from typical sources and the shortage is reflected in more empty grocery store shelves and related higher prices.
According to Reuters, “Ethanol, aka alcohol, is used for a variety of products. This could mean a drop in sugar supply, leading to increased prices and possible shortages.” Heavy rainfall in India has hurt rice production. The rainfall is 88% higher than normal in India so far this month.
Sugar will be in short supply, please stock what you can use and store safely in airtight containers. Remember, do not use any oxygenators as part of your sugar storage plan, the sugar will become bricks, literally.
4. Rice
If you have picked up bags of rice lately, you will see that the price has doubled.
“Right now, I will be much more worried by India slapping an export ban on rice in the coming weeks — as they were thinking about after wheat and sugar,” David Laborde, a senior research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute, told CNBC.” Nafees Meah, regional representative for South Asia at the International Rice Research Institute, added that energy costs, which have been rising globally, are a big part of rice production costs. CNBC
I quote the Wall Street Journal, “COLUSA, Calif.—Rick Richter has spent the past 43 years flying biplanes over California’s Sacramento Valley, dropping rice seeds into vast, flooded fields that churn out grain for consumers across the globe.
In a typical year, Mr. Richter’s company seeds 42,000 acres of rice, earning more than $3 million in revenue. This year, as a worsening drought prompts unprecedented cuts in water allocations to rice farms, he has seeded just 7,000 acres and expects sales of $550,000.”
5. Avocados
The American government stopped imports of Mexican avocados earlier this year. It’s because a U.S. plant safety inspector based in Mexico received a threat. I quote, “The United States has suspended avocado imports from Mexico because a U.S. plant safety inspector in Mexico was threatened, The Associated Press reported. The suspension started Saturday after the inspector was threatened in Michoacán, the only Mexican state authorized to export avocados to the United States.” WebMD
California is also experiencing its worst drought conditions in decades, affecting crops across the full farming sector.
This may be the reason you can’t get avocados, or they may be much more expensive. The Mexican restaurant we like to frequent mentioned guacamole is no longer an option, at least for the time being. Export restrictions aren’t anything we can control, so you may need to plan a different approach to your Latino-oriented meals for a while.
6. Eggs
According to my research, and I quote from the magazine, Today, “The rising costs are driven in part by the bird flu outbreak that has been detected in at least 26 states and led to the death of millions of birds. The virus, which is rarely transmitted to humans, is hitting consumers as well as businesses that use large amounts of eggs.” The challenge with the poultry industry is that many chickens are kept in tight quarters at the facility, making it much easier for the disease to spread.
I remember around Easter this year I noticed the price of eggs had escalated. This is one more reason we should try and raise our own chickens if your city will approve. As long as you have the amount of land required by the city and county you live in, it’s my understanding that HOAs can’t stop you. Check it out, I have a neighbor who recently started raising her own chickens!
I would check with your local municipalities before starting your very own chicken and egg production. My lot in Southern Utah was too small to have chickens. Some of the larger lots could have wrestled with the HOA if they had the desire to raise chickens.
For more information on the Avian flu, Avian influenza, or bird flu
7. Turkeys
I quote, NBC Montana, “If you’ve gone to a deli, sandwich shop or grocery store, you may have noticed turkey meat is in short supply. A number of factors are contributing to a nationwide turkey shortage, from supply chain issues to the avian flu, which has hit 39 states and over 40 million birds, according to the USDA. Aug 18, 2022″.
We just checked our local grocery store and they had turkeys going for $1.99 a pound. Yikes! Will they go down in price closer to Thanksgiving, I don’t know. My question would be, will there be any turkeys to purchase the closer we get to the holidays? Years ago, we had a neighbor give us a 38-pound turkey he had grown. That was truly the biggest turkey I have ever come across!
One store mentioned they will not get their turkeys until the first part of November. If you see them at your local store, you may want to purchase one rather than wait to see if prices will go down. Typically after Thanksgiving, you will see a clearance on turkeys, not sure we will see that this year. We haven’t seen this yet, but we may end up seeing purchase limits put in place.
8. Canned Goods
The aluminum to make the cans is growing harder to get, therefore, you may see less canned food for your family as well as canned food for your pet food needs. I don’t drink soda in cans, but I saw an article about how expensive soda is these days. I checked out a few grocery stores, the shelves were sparse and the prices seemed somewhat higher than I expected. And when I walked out of the store, I saw these mini cases of soda, I talking about small cans in a 12-pack of soda.
Now, I’m wondering if these small mini 12-packs will be the new normal.
9. Chickpeas
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has caused a huge drop in chickpea production because those two countries are the two main producers in the world. Even in the US, farmers have opted for other crops to grow. That’s why we are seeing a definite drop in chickpeas on grocery store shelves.
I know, what about our beloved hummus? Yep, we may have to start making hummus with a few different beans. It’s not just the chickpeas, it’s the metal to make the cans that are in short supply as well. Drought comes into play here again, without water, we can’t grow all the food items we need.
10. Dog Food
I had to take one of my dogs to my veterinarian for some minor surgery a few weeks ago and the girls mentioned it’s getting harder and harder to get medications and special diet formulas for pets that need them. Please stock an extra bag of dog food if you possibly can. I just bought some extra dog treats as well. They may not be necessary for the dogs, but I compare the dog treats to my chocolate cravings, so there you have it.
My research shows that cans for cat and dog food are hard to acquire and the cost of shipping is steep. We all know the price of gas has gone up and that affects our bottom line on everything since the truckers are having to pay those really high fuel prices to get things to market.
Final Word
I just heard this week that there’s another recall on infant formula. Who would have thought with our increased efficiency and technical understanding of food production across all food groups we’d still be experiencing recalls? Please stock up on grocery items when you can, you may not see what you want and need next year. I hope I’m wrong, but we stock now. The food we see on grocery shelves today was grown last year. Only buy those food items your family will eat. Please teach your kids and family how to cook from scratch. It’s a skill they all need. May God Bless this world, Linda
Great advice Linda. Fortunately I’m stocked up on all but soda – we don’t drink it – and avocados. I’m in rural Maine and our very small grocery store is hit or miss for a lot of items. Prices are outrageous. Saw a dozen eggs ( not organic) for $4.89 a dozen!! Thankfully we have chickens.
I can and dehydrate everything I can get my hands on. Just spent the last few days doing an inventory of everything we have – food, paper products, medicines, etc. I still feel like I need more but things are so expensive!
Just got our oil tank topped off ( back up only, we heat with wood) and paid $520.00 for 95 gallons. I don’t know how some people will make it this winter.
Hi Beth, I totally agree with you! I do not know how some people will make it this winter. I worry about the elderly and young families. How are they feeding themselves? I have stopped purchasing meat, I will not cave to those prices. Pork is somewhat reasonable but not my favorite choice. I love hearing you are taking an inventory of what you do have. Me too! Of course, my stash is in a storage unit, but I’m still adding to it. We still do not have a building permit from the city. My patience is wearing thin. We have been here 360 days now, but who is counting, right? LOL! Wow, $520.00 for 95 gallons of oil. Crazy! Linda
Yes, Linda: You are correct! I went to a Mennonite store yesterday to buy lettuce, cause my Chiropractor was loudly proclaiming that there was not one leaf of lettuce to be found ANYWHERE! WELL, they had it at the Mennonite store (which I suspected they would), but it was $5.99 for a package of Romaine Hearts, and not even organic ones at that!! Dummy me, I should have checked Aldi’s first. He said his Aldi’s was bereft of lettuce, but when I went to our local Aldi, they had BEAUTIFUL Romaine Lettuc for $3.89 and still had spring mix, too.
THEN, guess what??? They also had a TON OF TURKEYS, WITH premium Butterball Turkeys for $1.57/lb., limit of 2!! What a surprise!! That, of course, is much higher than the customary Wegman’s Thanksgiving Turkey Sale Price, but hey, at least you can still buy them if you don’t wait too long!!
Also, preppers need to be thinking about buying raw honey, garlic and herbs, if not fishbiotics to deal with infections. You can find all about that info in Dr. Joe Alton’s “Alton’s Antibiotics and Infectious Disease” book from Amazon or wherever books are sold. It won’t matter how much quality food you have, if you get a bad infection and have nothing stocked with which to treat it! You can also find Native American treatments for infections and other medical issues from “Seven Song”, a Native American Herbalist/Professor, or from John at Learning Herbs.net . We use a lot of Young Living Essential Oils for medical issues. They are all they are reported to be…organic and effective, never doctored or messed with ! We love them and help ourselves and others with YL’s Essential Oils, which are definitely not the same as other, cheaper Knock-offs. Over the last 18 years of using them, I have never found them to fail me, and that’s really saying something, cause I can be pretty picky about what I use!!
Hi Joyce, yay!!! You got a turkey!! I have Dr. Joe Altoon’s book, at least the first one. Great tips today, thank you so much!! Linda
I don’t know about other locations, but our local BJs Wholesale Clubs have still got lots of all of those items, except I cannot guarantee on pet food (only because we don’t have any pets at present, so I never check). I do think they had pet food when we were there last Sunday, though. Yes, many smaller stores are having difficulty, and my sister in FL tells me she cannot find an egg ANYWHERE!
Yet, here in Central New York, we still have lots of those items. I just bought Turkey Thighs at Wegman’s two days ago, plus eggs at BJs last Sunday, and lots of rice products from Lundberg from our Azure Standard coop. Azure sends a semi out from Oregon to our local “drop site” in Pittsford, NY, once a month and we get deliveries of all kinds of foods and handy items! Not sure what we’d do without Azure Standard! Anyone can join for free, but you do have to give them a creditcard no. so they can charge you for your groceries BEFORE they ship them. We even buy tinctures, produce, cleaning supplies, ice cream, meat, canned fish, you name it from Azure Standard. If you decided to join at AzureStandard.com/start and afterwards find a “drop off location”, called a ‘drop’ please use my name as your referral person! Use: JoyceStotts1 You will not regret joining, such a great group of down-home folks with American values and into prepping, too! They are still very well stocked with a TON of items! Heck, they even have a couple of brands of canning lids!!!
HI Joyce, thank you for the heads-up on your location. We do not have Bjs or Wegmans here in Utah. I have several friends who use Asure Standard, and I’ve heard really good things about them. Thank you for the reminder. I didn’t know they sold produce!!! Thanks for the tip on the items they sell! I Love it! Linda
We have a 5 gallon bucket of rice, one of beans and one of sugar. We don’t use a lot of sugar, but, it can be used to barter with if necessary. We don’t eat avocados or a few other items listed. Don’t use many eggs either. We do have 3 picky dogs.
Hi Deborah, the three picky dogs, I love it! Life is good if we have the stuff to barter. Linda
Linda: You are correct about Wegman’s. I once heard David Letterman on late night T.V. exclaim that he could not get his mother to move from her home, because she would not give up Wegman’s Grocery Store!! You know what? EVERYTIME my hubby and I talk about moving, we look to see if there’s a Wegman’s anywhere nearby!! HAH!!
About BJs. If they are not local to UT, can you find a Sam’s Club or a Costco Club? I think they should be relatively similar in what they carry and how much is in stock. I am so sorry that you all are faced with such a difficult time finding the foods you need in UT! I have been to Convention for Young Living Essential Oils in Salt Lake City at least 5-6 times plus Mona, UT at least 5 times now plus some of the AMAZING parks in southern UT. What a wondrously gorgeous state you have out there!! Yet, I know one man on the plane home once told me they were selling raspberries from $6.00 a quart (!!! THAT WAS A LONG TIME AGO!!) in UT, while we were picking over 100 quarts for the cost of the water to raise them. At that time $6.00/quart was unheard of, but now that sounds CHEAP!! Isn’t that the way of inflation nowdays??
Sorry, guys, about my typo! They were selling the raspberries for $6.00 a PINT in UT way back when we were growing them and selling them for $3.00 a QUART here in Central New York!! My mistake, sorry.
We still grow some berries, but there are always too many. EACH YEAR we BEG friends to come pick some of the blackberries (and a few blueberries or rasp.) every so often when we are overwhelmed. I love the Espoma berry fertilizer for vigorous bushes, but maybe some year we should ditch fertilizing them and just see if we can handle the size of the crops or not.
Hi Joyce, wow, that’s expensive for raspberries! $6.00 for a pint, yikes! I wish I lived near you I would come and pick them from the bushes and help pay for the fertilizer! Love this! Linda
Hi Jess, yes we have Sam’s and Costco. I have never seen raspberries that expensive, even in a pint as you mentioned above. But I didn’t look for any this year. That’s funny about the Wegman’s grocery store. We love our favorite ones that’s for sure. Linda
Avian flu didn’t kill all those birds. The idiots told the producers to kill the whole flock over as little as one sick bird and they initially complied.
Hi Matt, really? I wish I knew a chicken farmer to get the truth. If they could even tell me the truth. Linda
Additionally, some of those birds were lost to the heatwaves during this past Summer. Here in New England, the supply of eggs has been impacted and the prices skyrocketed. The dozen medium eggs I got from Stop &Shop all Summer for $2.99 went up to $5.99 in 3 weeks time. Store brands and Egg lands Best a local co-op are $4.50+and continually out of stock. The 1 brand consistently available and frequently on sale are Land O Lakes Large, they run $3.99 and frequently on sale at $3.00. There are coupons around as well. Some brands are restricted to 2 dozen per purchase.
H MaryAnn, good grief, one dozen eggs were $5.99! Tikes!Thank goodness for coupons and Land O Lakes large eggs!!! Thank you for keeping us posted on the price where you live! Linda
Linda,
What Matt said about chickens is true, not just here but in China as well. Much the same thing happened with beef cattle last year–but for different reasons. Because the Derecho destroyed so much of the corn crop cattle feed got too expensive. Regulations prevented many ranchers from selling their beef direct to the public–so they slaughtered their herds rather than incur further losses feeding them. It takes a minimum of two years to start building a herd back up to productivity so we’re looking at rising prices due to short supplies well into next year and maybe into 2024.
Oh, I’m fairly well stocked on everything you mentioned but I will be getting more chicks and expanding my coop to keep the eggs coming. If things really get dire I’ll take my hutch out of storage and get some rabbits again.
All great ideas, Linda. I had to laugh at the part about raising chickens and living in an HOA neighborhood. We rented a house when we first moved to Utah and didn’t know anything about HOAs. Our rental was in an HOA neighborhood and we moved after about 6 months. Their rules were ridiculous, especially when they sent a note out telling residents to snitch on their neighbors if they broke even the tiniest of rules. NOPE! No more HOAs.
Anyway, you always have great articles. Keep up the good work!
Hi Karl, oh the HOAs, doesn’t the hair on the back of your neck go crazy when you hear that term? Yeah, no more HOAs. for us either. The snitching drives me nuts. Good grief, if I got one of those notes I would have gone ballistic. THank you for your kind words. I’m glad you do not live in an HOA anymore. LOL! Linda
I am pretty well stocked but I am still getting things I can get coupons for at our Grocery Stores. I have noticed my daughter has talked about some shelves being empty. Of course we have a large freezer full, a medium freezer full and 3 refrigerator freezers full. My daughter will buy 5 of each type of the meals that have the meat in them and all I have to do is add veggies if I need to use them. We are lucky that our grocery stores including Walmart carries local foods so Butter is not and noodles and meats are not too hard to get in Fact they usually have a BoGo sales each week so we stock up what we need when they are on sale. I don’t know how long this will last but we are doing pretty good right now.
HI Jackie, that’s good to hear. I hope others can find the coupons they can use. Where I live Walmart does not have shelves that are full. Pretty scarce in my opinion. Maybe it’s just my location in Utah. Linda
Thank You again Linda,
This article reminds people to take care of their future. The last time baby formula went missing some friends put out a call because their grandbaby was almost out. When we found the brand they were looking for, we bought a couple of extra. Now the baby is off formula, but we have some for the next shortage for other people who may need it and it made us think about keeping a few items for our community in case of an emergency. As I see it, the most vulnerable will be the very young and the very old, such a shame. Thankfully the rest of us can still do things to help, like growing & raising food (even avocados, chickpeas, eggs, turkeys) all from the list above.
May we all thrive and not just survive!
Hi Jay, I totally agree with you Jay. I’m worried about the very young and the very old as well. What a blessing you were able to find the baby formula and help that family. Life is good when we can help others. Linda
My Brother and I went to our Air Force base in our state and I would say there was at least
30 small signs per row of items they were out of due to shortage. Now I didn’t count the signs so there might have been more than 30 and there might have been less but there were signs everywhere. I did
notice that their butter supply was low. Yesterday 10/14 we went to Walmart and I noticed that a pound of stick Blue Bonnet was $1.68. I had stocked up when it was 98 cents. There were eggs at my Walmart but didn’t notice the price as I get my eggs from a friend with chickens. I did notice the price of milk is getting way way to high.
HI June K. oh thank you for the update on the Air Force Base in your state. 30 signs of shortages is a LOT to me. Oh my goodness! We picked up 5 dozen eggs at Costco for $11.99 a couple of days ago. That’s about $1.99 a dozen. I forgot to check the butter price because I have plenty in the freezer. The rice I purchased about two weeks ago had doubled in price. Hopefully, we have enough for our needs, June. Crazy prices! Linda
Chickens across the street from our house, on the golf course would give our HOA a stroke!!!! I would LOVE it!!!!
Off topic…..we put up some decorative hinges on our garage door…..got nasty letter from HOA threatening to hire contractor to remove them…. wait till last day and removed them….. next day, powers-that-be were looking for the holes in the door……..FOOLS……they were magnets. I love pissing them off!!! They came at us about our fire pit until I pointed out statement from local law enforement identifying it as fire table which could be used for cooking…..thank your Officer Bill and Officer Terry…..our boys!!!!!
HI Chris, well, doesn’t that beat all? The HOA was looking for the holes that didn’t exist, wow they have way too much time on their hands! Magnets, I love it! I got the giggles over the chickens on the golf course! The fire pit, oh wow! There are no words, some HOAs have gotten out of hand. I used to live in one, I totally get it. Linda
Greetings from NW Florida! Will keep your permits on the prayer list, Linda!
We shop at our local Commissary for our one main monthly grocery shopping. Our Commissary just totally rearranged all the shelves, so not sure what things were missing. The flour & sugar sections were slightly smaller, but still carried the same brands as before. Prices are increasing by a few cents each time on the canned goods & pantry staples we buy. Dried lentils still 97 cents a lb. Canned fruits up about 75 cents more per can than a year ago.
Butter (store brand) is still under $4 a lb there, well over that at Sam’s club or Walmart.
Pet food very expensive & seems like the amount in bag or can is decreased every time. I’ve switched to Aldi’s canned cat food for Hobbit meals for our 4 & my son’s cat now here with us. Working on getting his cat off the super special Blue Buffalo & onto a good dry food that’s more affordable.
I have friends here that are remodeling their kitchen & finding it a challenge to get the materials to finish the project due to long waits & then skyrocketing prices.
My sister in Minnesota has had to wait 8 months to get her sliding glass door replaced. It’s scheduled for delivery in another 2 weeks.
She just went to her local hay farmer (age70+) to buy her 24 rolls of hay for the winter. He told her that last year he spent $9000 on diesel to plant & harvest hay. This year, he spent $27,000 on diesel to produce the same amount. My sister is the only person he’s selling hay to this year because he’s not taking chances that he won’t have enough to feed his own cattle through the winter. Northern Minnesota already has snow on the ground!
Keep praying for our country!
I do thank you so much Linda for your valuable advice. My son and his wife are trying to downsize the budget because things are getting tight. Three growing boys eat alot. Butter is $5.69, 1% milk is $3.39. turkey is $2.79 a pound for a whole bird. Eggs are $4.00 a dozen. Kelloggs raisin bran 2 pk has gone from 5.49 to 9.99. How much worse this can get concerns me.
HI Chris, I’m with you about the cost of food. I’m writing one right now for tomorrow on other food items in short supply. The cost of food really concerns me. I saw so many empty shelves today. Milk shelves were full, interesting enough. Linda
Linda, thanks for the motivation to start increasing our supplies. One comment I wanted to make is regarding corn being grown for fuel and not food. The corn used to produce ethanol is grown for cattle feed, not human consumption. The leftovers from extracting the ethanol, called Dried Distillers Grain, makes a better cattle feed than just grinding the corn as it has more protein. It is in very high demand by cattle feeders. The food value of corn used for ethanol is not wasted.
Hi Alan, thank you for this valuable information. I had not heard about the Dried Distillers Grain. I love learning new things. We must be diligent and learn what we can, thank you again, Linda
But the price of beef itself is still outrageous. The cattle ranchers lost large numbers of cattle to lack of water and grazing. On top of that many also died from heat stroke or heat exhaustion. There is nearly no shade on their ranges from the brutal sun and hot conditions. It’s not being noised about but calves must have died too. They go to the ranges with their Mothers in the Summer where she continues to nurse until they are able to sustain themselves on grass. If Mom couldn’t find them water or grass. Those little ones died too. The preceding Winter was exceedingly cold and many died from cold and storm drifting before storms. I saw one report of a rancher who lost stock from freezing in the barn. That heat also took a toll on pork, and poultry as well. Ranchers who could spread hay on parts of their ranges, hoping to feed as many as they could. But the water and brutal weather conditions are bigger issues to tackle. Supply is much lower than demand. I don’t think it’s all middleman gouging us for profits. I buy only sale meats to use in my slow cookers along with grain and beans. Than God for growing up poor and stretching meats as far as I can. The slow cookers wring every bit of flavor and nutrition out of the toughest meat, and bones. Accompanied by every Oz of vegetables, beans and grain that will fit. I have armed myself with enormous soup files especially vegetarian and vegan soups and stews. The best pice on burger her for 3 weeks going is $13.98 for 3 lbs of 85/15%. I divide it to 3 lb (1lb) packages to stock the freezer. I saw a piece of bottom round 3lb for $8.99 so I grabbed it. Used half for a beef stew that has fed us for 3 days. The other half is frozen for later use. Seeing 3-4 lb oven oven roasts for $78.99. Brisket was on sale for Roshashanah (SP I know spell check won’t help) at double the price of a year ago. Needless to say, I buy what is tough but cheaper and only on substantial sale prices. We are end of the supply lines here in New England.
Hi MaryAnn, thank you again for sharing the prices of what you have available in New England. Thank you for sharing about the freezing temperatures and the heat that killed the cattle and their little ones. The farmers/ranchers have to be frustrated with the weather conditions and the price of feed. If the grass to feed them has zero water, well, there is no grass. This has indeed taken a toll on the chickens, pork, and beef for sure. Who can pay this “Seeing 3-4 lb oven roasts for $78.99”. Those who are raising their own meat are fine for NOW, but that may end. Droughts are everywhere. I’m glad I grew up poor because I can stretch a meal just like you, thank you sharing! Linda
Sandinunion Oregon here.
Love your posts and your ideas. I used 5 gallon buckets lined them with food grade Mylar bags. So I have my basics stored.
My pantry is full with canning from our garden. Apple butter jam, already made tomato sauce plus plain ,we planted too many Roma’s middle of October and still ripening.
We live on a social security budget, we go to our food banks which helps greatly but even those food banks are getting more people signing up so less food.
Hi Sandy, I love hearing how prepared you are. What a blessing your garden produced so well. My mom used to make apple butter jam, I need to find her recipe!! Yum! Linda
Just a comment on Rice. I’m a rice consultant who works with rice farmers in Missouri. Please support US rice farmers & buy rice grown here in the US. Grown in the USA on the package. There should not be any shortages. Thank you!
Hi Amy Beth, thank you for your comment, this helps a lot. What about the west coast, I quote the Wall Street Journal
It’s good to know the East coast is good. Linda
California rice farmers have you taken care of as well. Check out the USA Rice Federation or US Rice Producers for more information & recipes.
Hi Amy, thank you so much. They state who the top rice producers are in the US but it’s from 2020. I will keep looking. Thank you, Linda
I recommend people stock up on baking supplies for the holidays. Not just granulated but 10X, brown sugars, and especially CANE sugar if you plan on making any candy. Bothe Corn Syrups, Molasses, if it’s a product of the sugar industry get it early. Add to that Maple Syrup and Honey. There is a flour shortage as well. Hot Cereals and grain products as well. Corn meal, grits, and hominy ditto. Drought has affected the yields of corn this year as well as that derecho. The Mississippi is so low, the crops transported up river on barges, are delayed. The barges must be lightened enough to float higher in the water, and in smaller groups. Channels are at record low levels, the navigable waters are narrower then in many years so they have to allow for two way traffic. With the low water levels many more obstacles are in the way and must be avoided. Nearer the head waters part of the Miss had to be closed, too shallow for safe navigation. This is part of the shortages in flour and sugar, difficulty reaching processing. So get everything planned for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. Have alternative ideas to substitute for main dishes, side dishes, special celebrating goodies, appetizers, party foods and liquors, wines for the big meal, and baking. I’m already looking for alternatives for Thanksgiving and Christmas, we don’t celebrate New Years, my husband has to work and last he worked Christmas too. I’m used to flexing around holiday schedules we both work and I formerly worked as direct patient care in hospitals. I’m just suggesting that. Be flexible with your planning, have alternatives set to go if something is too expensive, or out of stock. Planning ahead and prestock everything you can, then plan a budget for everything possible with an.extra buffer you can afford.
Hi MaryAnn, my husband and I were just talking about that this morning (the Mississippi River). Great reminder on stocking up on baking goods, I need to write a post about that, great tip!! Linda
There are more supply problems that have not been mentioned by anyone. FL Oranges are a major crop in FL and much of the crop was still on the trees, when Ian thundered in. First the oranges were blown off the trees, then the orchards were mowed down and smashed in a pile of twisted wreckage, then the those filthy flood waters inundated the orchards. Not only a large proportion of this years crop. But cleaning up the destruction will be months away. The flood must drain away, then the grow must dry up and firm enough for heavy equipment can come in and start cleaning up the mess in hazmat gear as the DPH has ruled a health hazard. Once the surface mess is cleared, then they’ll find out if the trees came out roots and all or if they have to dig them out. They need to plow under the sludge and recondition the soil. But oranges get planted as thin 1-2 year old saplings. It will take years to reach full fruit production. Only if they get spared another major hurricane. There is no way to tell if the greening disease was spread far and wide by the winds and flood waters or not. So far the only control has been to cull infected trees. Time will tell. Most of Fl crop are juice oranges, like the Sweet Valencia’s. But it means a short supply of fresh juice and frozen concentrate. They do raise some Naval Oranges, and there are groves in many parts of FL. I have not heard how lemons, limes, or key limes were affected. It all depends on so many variables, but the Orange product supply will be reduced and much more expensive East of the Miss.
Hi MaryAnn, wow, thank you for helping me understand the culling of the infected trees, etc. Hazmat suits, things we would not understand unless we live back there. Or have lived through a major hurricane. Hurricane Ian is beyond what I have ever seen. Thank you so much for helping me understand the devastation above and beyond what the news tells us. Linda
Hi Linda, the rescue/recovery personnel and local residents are being cautioned to be extremely careful, to avoid contact with the flood waters and anything touched by them. The water is contaminate by raw sewerage from flooded treatment plants, pesticides, and fertilizers from the flooded orchards, yards, golf courses, farmlands, fuel and oil from flooded homes, vehicles, gas stations, and all kinds of equipment. There is so much leached tannin in the water from damaged trees and fragments of buildings submerged in the water it has turned dark brown. There is a multicolored line all along the Gulf coast of FL where the flood water are finally draining into the sea. Toxic Algae Blooms are expected and beginning to occur. There is an upswing in cases of Vibrio bacterial infections in the hardest hit ares. Vibrio is best known as the bacteria. that contaminates raw oysters. Even I was not aware that it is classed as a flesh eating bacteria. I cared for one case many years ago, and it is both deadly and disfiguring, very difficult to treat. Apparently it thrives in warm sea water or brackish water. So the surge added that to the contaminated waters as well. It can enter any opening or skin opening from an injury to cause terrible infections. So all must take extreme precautions for prevention, wearing masks, gloves, and sanitizing everything with bleach. Of course any time flooding like this occurs there is danger of dysentery, cholera, and typhoid from contamination also tetanus, There is potential for respiratory disease as well. The devastation left by the storm is on a massive scale. Untold numbers have lost everything, supplies and food are limited. They are still finding corpses as the water dissipates. It’s heart rending.
HI MaryAnn, oh my gosh, I have heard none of this. Thank you for sharing. People need to be aware of how bad it really is along the Gulf coast of Florida. This is the worst Hurricane in Florida history I believe I heard, not sure about that. But this is so bad. Thank you again for sharing what we all need to hear. Linda
In respects to the extent of damage and wide spread destruction, deaths injuries and massive rescue and recovery efforts, and loss to citizens and loss gross State Production, job losses, residential shortages with Winter coming on. The impact on the biggest tourist season of the year, plus displaced snowbirds, environmental imparts (I’ve yet to hear how the Busch Gardens made out in the flooding, Disney suffered damages but were able to self repair and reopen the park, one of their resorts has suffered enough serious flood damage they have to remain closed for repairs. The Buccaneers Stadium had damage but were able to repair enough to host their home opener, that they gloriously lost. (Don’t mind me, I’m for the NE Patriots all the way, and don’t mind seeing Brady struggle a bit) But the biggest losses are the Western Coast Beach Resorts, many will need extensive repairs or complete demolish and rebuild. The beach sand is gone, sucked out into the Gulf as well as being fouled from the effluvium of the floods. Ian may not outstrip Katrina for actual damages, but should beat out Cat 5 Michael, Cat 5 Andrew. Cat 5 starts at 155mph winds, while Ian is categorized as high end Cat 4. Looking at the destruction there is no difference made by 5 mph below Cat 5. In made ways it looks much worse. There is concern many more insurance companies may be unable to cover the extent of damage and bankrupt. Ian will likely outstrip Michael for shear damages, because he hit an extremely densely populated and built up area, plus an enormous area of prime vacation country. The Winter Snowbirds were big losers of vacation homes and boats, including houseboats. Seeing the wreckage of the Marina’s was sickening. There weren’t just yachts and pleasure boats piled up, docks, mooring sites, boat sheds, repair buildings and storage facilities were destroyed. Charter boats for sports fishing, and cruises, and commercial fishing boats are piled and smashed over peoples heads fouling the water with bilge and fuel. Those at the bottom of the heaps are smashed to bits, the big ones on top have stove in hulls, the majority may be beyond salvage. They are going to need new landfills to handle all the wreckage. It will take years to rebuild during a time with a major shortage of building materials at extreme prices. Restoring the environmental impact to the area, rebuilding the beaches, getting back the tourists and snowbirds will take decades. For once that idiot Governor DeSantis, said something intelligent. There will be rigid adherence required to higher hurricane codes for all repairs and replacement of structures. Even deep set municipal street lights on reinforced concrete pylons over a foot thick were snapped and blown by Ian’s winds. They were thought to be strong enough to withstand a high end Cat 5 like Katrina, back to the drawing board. Parking pylons anchored by steel rods deep into the ground were up rooted and tossed like twigs. Ian’s and Fiona’s names will be retired in the Spring, never to be used again. Cat 5’s like Andrew and Camille were extremely destructive but small and had a narrow paths of destruction. Ian was a huge hurricane, moving slowly forward, like a huge tortoise.His path of destruction was nearly as wide as the FL peninsula and his rain bands were even wider. I believe he was wider that Cat 5 Michael that hit the Panhandle a couple years ago. But Michael didn’t hit an area nearly as intensely populated or built up and not as close to sea level.either. There are destroyed highways, causeways, and bridges that must be repaired or rebuilt. There is a new network of roads designed to improve access and evacuations in design nearly ready to start, so many may have to relocate to accommodate those. . Ian will leave a substantially changed FL behind him.. The East Coast and the Panhandle will have to cope with the total of Spring breakers next year, maybe even longer. Both are already have difficulty containing what they had. God help those poor people in FL. I hope they are spared another impact like that for some years to come.
HI MaryAnn, thank you so much, this is the stuff we do NOT hear about. Plus, we only can see so much through a TV news lens. I have got to share this, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Linda
There is one final supply problem. Flooding of ranches and farm lands. FL is a primary source for Winter vegetables and fruit for most of us here in the East. They were all tilled and ready to plant, already 2 weeks behind from heavy rains all Summer. Now fields were flooded with deep waters, some are still under water most are too wet to plant. Most of their prep work was washed away and sludge now rests on their fields. Equipment is damaged, the soil will need to be plowed and prepped all over again. They are now at least 4 weeks behind planting. This week we are experiencing the first outbreak of polar air frost and freeze potentials are high well into FL and even here, more delays, will happen. Cold slows the drying out process. Timing is crucial for them, holiday specialty crop markets may be missed, especially those large fancy strawberries for the holiday season and Valentine’s Day. Citrus crops, cole crops, squashes of all kinds, carrots, corn, tomatoes, gourmet potatoes, specialty crops for salads, beets, lettuces, green beans, and so many crops we rely on in the Winter, celery for example. Thankfully the government stepped in and prevented that rail strike, but who knows how much reduction in crops from CA will be occurring and whether they can or will try to enter the Eastern supply chain. Any almond products are sky high this year and what almonds I could get for baking are tiny. Almond Butters are $13.00 + here, most now contain palm oil so that I won’t buy.those. I don’t just recommend just baking supplies, but supplies for holiday meals. We must plan early, and be flexible with alternatives for every course traditional or not. We also have to budget extra money for basics and prepare to economize where we can. Priorities are vital, but another credit card Christmas is not wise. We have been warned that heating oil, natural gas, and electricity will be very high and there maybe shortages. So we must be ready for that, . There is meat for some new articles here. We not only need to prep against future needs, but prep by building supplies for everyday cooking and other needs including meds for cold and flu season, as well as another Covid rise. Many people are making tough choices to put food on the table now and still manage to heat their homes and have essential transportation. Prices and shortages are only going to get worse, food pantries are stretched to the limit and also experiencing shortages on important items. A really helpful article, perhaps with a download available on the best places to turn to for help, for food, utility bills, mortgages, rent payments , and other emergencies. How to work with these resources and how to cut expenditures to the bone using priorities. Help with credit card debt would be helpful for many. You have many smart people who respond to most of your articles, maybe some could do guest spots for you. Some one explaining haw to be prepared for Winter,, be it home or apartment, to be as efficient with heating and lighting bills. Down sizing on holiday lighting, insulation tips Dressing for lowered thermostats, how to manage setback thermostats, downsizing holiday lighting, being most efficient with appliances, how to set hot water tanks, converting high efficiency lighting to reduce electricity costs without losing intensity for task lighting and hobbies or reading. There was an article I read recently about how to be efficient with air conditioning when you go out by how many hours you’ll be gone, etc. Simple repairs you can do yourself. I know people who call the land lord about changing light bulbs for them. I did call landlords about hallway lighting issues, that’s a safety violation and many are not accessible to tenants means. I do have battery powered lights for emergency use on my hallway table. They light the stairway and landing when the fixture on the landing burns out or that circuit breaker trips. That would be a good article alone , how to label and reset the breaker box. Also that it’s illegal to cover those up or decorate. That would leave you more time for the big special articles you are so good at, while people need to know how to do these smaller things to take better charge of their lives, another bit of self reliance. Your articles on making things from scratch, over coming reliance on unhealthy prepared foods, how to survive power outages in Winter, how to prepare, for blizzards, hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding and evacuations, preparing storm shelters, etc are excellent. Another emergency many should be aware of are mud and landslides, from wild fire burn scars, as well as preparedness for wildfire season evacuations. What to have ready to leave with you first aid kits, food & water, pets in carriers, plus supplies for their needs, essential documents, evacuation routes, clothing. A bugout load for your vehicle along with a full tank of gas. These people seem the most I’ll prepared evacuees of all, and they don’t seem to plan ahead as they should. I’ve got to stop going on and on. But so much of this is need to know, all kinds of preparedness should be part of daily life. Not just in case of dire future events but what is an everyday potential emergency. Have you been following the news that Putin is considering dropping nukes on the Ukraine? Not just genocide, but destroying farmland that supplies the world with grains and other vital foods. If he’s that stupid, even China will have no use or respect for him. It will mean nutritional disaster and starvation for many countries, and especially the world’s poor.
Hi MaryAnn, is it all right if I take this comment and break it out for my readers. This is critical information. Linda
We also need to remember that no matter how dire things get, the Lord Himself is absolutely good and “His Eye is on the Sparrow”! If you believe in Him, ask Him for the wisdom you need on how to prepare and with what, and where to find it at a cost you can afford! Yesterday, I was pondering how the heck we would ever buy Christmas Gifts for our 3 Amish “almost grandkids” and still cover everything else. THEN, I stopped at Real Deals Store to see if they still had the Planters “Nut-tritious” packets on sale like last week…for my husband for snacks at work. NOPE! Snarked right up, but you know what I found that was even BETTER??? I found bags and bags of Udi’s G/F Chocolate Coconut Granola with Clusters for $1.25 each! Those bags are big enough to give as a gift, so each kiddo will get a bag with a $10 bill taped on the front, and that’s Christmas for them this year! That sure beats spending $50 on each and still not being sure I bought them something that is Amish-approved! They will also receive a set of 2 books (for them all) by Kash Patel that I like. Should be plenty. Mom is getting some LocknLock containers filled with nuts, chocolates and raisins or craisins that we just bought from a buying club. She can always use more kitchen storage containers, and the food will help to tide them over. Dad is getting two books (he likes to read/one is a devotional) and a nice pair of leather gloves for all that hard work on the farm. AND I will send a quite small box with Young Living’s cleaning supplies and hand lotion. That should be more than enough, but lots less than previous years when I bought them a set of Corelle Ware and/or Cutco Knives!! NO CUTCO THIS YEAR!!
HI Joyce, oh the Cutco knives are the BEST!! They last forever!! I think you have some great ideas for all the gifts you are giving!! I agree you can always use good storage containers. Love this, Linda
Yup,Linda! I have given them so many Cutco knives over the years, they will be surprised that there’s not one bit of Cutco in there this year! Sometimes, I have purchased brand new Cutco for them and sometimes I have purchased next to new and sent them in to HQ ahead of time, to have them refurbished, so they look exactly like new! Some were even pieces that I owned that were not used much at all, but I knew they would use a lot…Every year we head down there around early November, so as to be at their youngest’s birthday (my little buddy that I rocked and helped bring up when he was a newborn baby). You see, Mom was still putting up fresh slaughtered chickens and canning them 3 or 4 days before giving birth at home. She had worked 15=16 hr. days all summer long without sufficient rest nor meals, just to help her husband who thought working 20-22 hrs. a day was just fine!! I started going over to their farm with meals to feed their family (and ours) several times a week, did laundry a lot and sometimes helped packing up crops for the Farmer’s Market in Syracuse, NY that summer and Fall, cause they had planted too much of certain crops and could not keep up with the enormous harvest at that time! When I went over to check on Mama the day Adam was born, I found her caring for her two older (2 & 4 year old) daughters alone hrs. after giving birth without even having had a nap!! Hubby was chomping at the bit to get that six point deer out the back door that they would need for meat to get thru the winter, so I told him to just go and I would rock the baby and care for the little girls. Mom got a 3 hr. nap,, while I rocked baby Adam to sleep and just played Grandma. Here we are 9 years later on Nov.10th and my “little buddy”Adam is still like a grandchild to me and he once said “What do you mean LIKE my gwandma, Aunt Joyce? You ARE my Gwand-mah! So,that is at least partly why we go out of our way to continue to give the older 2 girls, Mom and Dad and little Adam wonderful gifts all year, every year. We don’t expect to ever have any grandkids of our own but God Himself gave us” grandkids of the heart”, even though they are Amish. We sing together, play together.cook and bake together and work in the packing shed to pack up crops for Whole Foods in Pittsburgh, when needed. They are just like family, so that is our fondest privilege. So, as far as prepping goes, this trip really does apply, because in the Spring we go down there and get seedlings and spring foods from them, and in the Fall, we get harvest season foods by the 1/2 bushel of each type to last us through a lot of the winter. We may well stop at our Organic Orchardist’s and buy them a bushel of organic apples along the way, as well. This is God’s way of us sharing love and storing food all at once, and we get 3 surrogate grandkids to boot! I buy then the supplies they cannot get down there where the moved to, and trade them for our supply of organic veggies for the winter!! A BLESSING! Looking forward to celebrating young Adam’s 9th birthday next week, if the world doesn’t go crazy right after the elections!! WE PRAISE GOD FOR THE CONSTANT LOVE AND PROVISION HE SUPPLIES TO US!!
We are in the same boat. Steve asked for a crockpot lasagna for his birthday meal. That was on October 16, but he brought home a brutal head/chest cold that he passed to me. He had a hard time getting over it until I gave him a “kick in the ass” to restart his walking program. Within a week he was over it. I was not so lucky. Every time I tried to get up, I got worse. Finally called my Pulmonologist, explained my symptom (fever, wracking cough, headaches, sore throat, repeated asthma attacks, weakness, chills) and expressed my concern. She agreed a secondary Pneumonia and a Sinus Infection to boot. So needless to say his birthday Lasagna will be next weekend after he gets paid and my SS check arrives. Home from scratch with homemade Italian Sausage Sauce and lots of veggies. For Thanksgiving it’s looking like a Big Crockpot Turkey Burger Meatloaf with Turkey Broth Gravy and Acorn Squash with stuffing inside ( I’m making more stuffing in my smaller crockpot, some creamed onions, and cranberry orange relish. I’ve got the groceries for everything except the Turkey burger, and some canned pumpkin. Dessert will be Pumpkin Custard. We looked at Turkeys at the market Sunday. $ 40.00 is not going happen. I hope to maybe score some Turkey legs or thighs, and giblets Thanksgiving week, but no whole Turkey unless they have a landslide sale Thanksgiving week, which I don’t expect. Right now it’s slaughtering season, so I have found some very good family Pack sales, we repacked them into meal sized amounts and have managed to partially refill our 4cu ft meat freezer. I’m well stocked on vegetarian proteins and trying to stock up on dairy. None of it will be on sale and our gas heat will be up by 34%, while electricity will be up by 64% over a year ago. So I’m trying to stock against later need. Slowly rebuilding my pantry staples as well. My crockpots are much cheaper to use than our oven or stovetop. So I use my 3 continuously. Christmas meal will be another burger meal in the crockpot Canadian Meat Pie, redesigned for the crockpot. With more cranberry- orange relish. Vegetables TBA. We haven’t decided what to do about presents. There are just the 2 of us, we’ve outlived our parents, Steve is an only child, I have a sister in MI, unmarried who I try to do a little something for. I’ve an idea for her. We were hoping to get a counter top multipurpose oven. More energy efficient than the electric stove by far, but possibly out of reach now.
I think you have great gift ideas for your family members. The Amish are Plain Folk, their ideas for gifts run to clothing items, often handmade and practical, useful gifts. Books should fit well with their customs, since entertainment is simple and family oriented. I have a friend from the Amish Country in PA, and my college roommate was from a moderate Mennonite family. I’m sure that chocolate granola and cash money will make their eyes bug out. That’s a very healthy granola for a commercial brand. Happy Holidays to you.
Definitely ok. There is plenty to look at on the internet, with your background and connections you can better tell this tale than I. I’m much too wordy and get lost in the details. This is a difficult time already with enormous inflation and shortages. But the drought is piling up more and more shortages and triggering more inflation on things everybody needs, milk, yogurt, cottage cheese and other dairy needs for children. Now Abbott has a recall on a specialty formula for babies. Not every woman can breast feed, and if they are, they need a nutritious diet. Children need these protein sources for proper growth and development, especially the toddlers. I already mention the egg shortage, I’ve not directly seen empty milk shelves, but dairy products made from milk, cheeses, yogurts, cottage cheese, I’ve had trouble getting all three recently. Eggs are so short and so expensive, even Costco and BJ’s can’t absorb that forever, I remember a person saying she got tons of eggs cheaply. People need to know things like that aren’t going to last. It’s a dot.com bubble burst all over again. Or the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac bubble. burst. The insurance problem in FL worries me. It’s a tip of a financial ice berg. The things I’ve read indicate the economy is vulnerable, you would know better of course. But expanding this prep scenario is another type of prep. We need to prepare for the immediate troubles, as well as the future possibilities. Good luck with this. People need this! Now,I promise to be quiet for at least a day or so. MA
Hi MaryAnn, please never be quiet, I love your comments and people need to read them. I will work on these, thank you so much! Linda
More information just heard on 11:PM re more shortages and price hikes. Check Out web site . Topic on grocery shortages, crop losses, prices increases. There may be more available, I don’t know, haven’t checked the site, just the 11PM news. Rossen is well established and known for accurate research. Night now.