Milk prices going up

Hi- I just saw on the news last night that because of the heat we have been having, milk prices are expected to go up 15 cents a gallon in the short term, and 40 cents a gallon in the long term. Cows do not produce as much milk when it is this hot out. I am sure that with the drought we have been having, that the price of feed is going to go up too. They are already talking about how the price of meat is going to go down temporarily, because more cattle are being slaughtered right now, but that they expect the cost of meat to rise because feed is expected to get so expensive in the near future, unless this drought gets resolved soon.

Hope this helps, Nancy

Unfortunately food price increases will soon not even be "newsworthy" I'm afraid. We're already faced with 22% increase in the beef we're buying, 15% or so in our pork, and this week we've been told to expect increases in our dairy and eggs as well. It's all drought related. Our little community is home to a large soybean processor and an ethynol distillery, with the corn crop found in most any growing state in the poor to failed status, the distillery will find it hard to stay producing as it won't be able to afford to purchase the corn to do so. The soybean processor runs 24/7 just kicking out the protein "nuggets" for all your veggie-burgers etc. their bins are empty...zero. If the weather doesn't break, they'll be forced for the first time to import soybeans to keep us all in our Boca Burgers. If that happens, the shelf price will certainly reflect that as well. I think we're about to witness the perfect storm of weather related food prices. Anyone want to come teach me how to can?

A farmer friend of mine tells me to look for a small drop in beef, pork and poultry prices in between 6 to 12 weeks. Producers will be sending their herds and flocks to slaughter in a measured way, but slaughtering none-the-less because they cannot afford to feed them. It would make sense to take advantage of the slight downturn in prices and stock up since the expected rise in prices, (just in time for the holidays), looks like upwards of 50%.

Canning is not a difficult skill and pressure canning, (especially of meat products), is actually easier than water bath canning. You can pick up a decent pressure canner for around $100 - $125. Get a copy of the Ball Canning Blue Book, follow the directions that come with the pressure canner and learn a useful skill. In areas like Gibson City look at your local RuralKing or Farm and Fleet stores. You can also get canning assistance through your local Ag extension or ask a 4H member.

(I'm planning on dehydrating some watermelon today and making pickles from the rind.)