Food price insanity - More per pound for tomatoes than for chicken

Yesterday, at the grocery store, I paid more per pound for tomatoes ($2.98/lb) than I did for chicken ($2.75/lb). I can't believe that something this out of whack hasn't caused more of a stir here in the US. Perhaps many people are thinking like me and hoping to hold out until we can get our small home gardens planted. But even with that, there won't be any harvest realization until at least June/July.

tomotoes are nasty and you should be getting organic chicken if you know whats best for you, then you will be paying 5 dollars a pound. Then you will be able to restore the sanity.

reply to post by larphillips


When I went through the drive through at the Wendy's a couple days ago they had a sign on the speaker that said "Tomatoes by request only. If we have them. "

well technically home gardens are against the law there was a bill passed toward the end of last year look up senate bill s510 so get used to the high prices lol

It is insane, but there is a reason for this. Mexico's largest tomato producing state got walloped this year and lost 70 percent of it's crop:

Mexican Tomato Crop

The cold weather in Florida hit them hard too.

I'll be able to plant tomatoes in my organic garden in about 4 weeks. I think this year I'll double the number of plants and set up a tomato stand out in my front yard.

Thats too bad I guess I will be feloniously gardening all summer, What a lawbreaker I am......

reply to post by larphillips


Its going to be an interesting year for the poor and middle class. Higher gas and food prices, rents going up in many places, and no increase in wages.

Even though it will be a few months until you reap the benefits, I hope many people DO plan to put in a garden this year. Its a good habit to get into, its good for your health to be outside in the sun and dirt. Home grown veggies are the best tasting, and it really will help with your grocery bills if you grow some of your own vegetables and herbs.

They had a special on food in the latest issue of the Economist, and dont hold your breath waiting for things to get better. They may not.

I started my own indoor aquaponics with herbs, tomatoes peppers and fish, its an experiment, but so far so good.

Almost free and fresh vegetables, totally organic and independent.

www.youtube.com...

Originally posted by tsawyer2
I think this year I'll double the number of plants and set up a tomato stand out in my front yard.

Im going to up my number of plants this year too, but I think I am going to learn to can. Yet another of those old time skills that we need to revive for the hard times ahead.

Now this does actually kind of make financial sense if you take all the nice parts of eating food out of the equation that is.

You see first off the chickens do actually kind of look after them selves in a way, mass producing chickens is a case of throwing in the necessities and pulling out the dead ones before sickness spreads to the yield - it's an economy of scale, go big and bring the unit cost down - very simple business rule that one.

Secondly it's the way people buy food, we buy with our eyes! - Once a chicken is plucked had the innards and head/feet removed, injected with salt water to plump up and add weight wrapped in plastic, well that sick little chicken looks just the same as any other sick little chicken in the fridge in the supermarket, even better sell the breasts separately! - a bit of 'added value!' - decent shelf life, (even better sell the less good looking parts frozen) - and well then you have all the other processed chicken products, everything from McDonald's chicken nuggets etc to animal feed, and there must be many many by products from the chicken plant we don't really know of.

And then you have your Tomato... Shelf life not all that great, people never choose to buy tomato's unless they look like they came out of the garden of eden - of course we have all sorts of processed tomato products, so that's good, everyone likes ketchup, tomato soup tomato paste for cooking etc... The yield is fairly low even in forced growth, can't think of many useful byproducts of tomato production right now.

So that's business, if you want to farm chickens go big! - It's the only way you will compete, If you want to grow Tomato's grow the best Tomato's you can and get them sold while they look really really good.

My recommendation: eat in season and grow your own veggies, and/or go to the farmer's market if you have one. Save your money to buy locally raised (non factory farmed) meat. Don't waste your money on produce that has to be trucked in. Unless I'm having a party, I'm not going to spend my money on tomatoes from Mexico. I'll be patient and wait for summer to either, give them to me cheaper from a local farmer, or free from my own garden. Gas prices may go up, but when you buy local and in season, it doesn't really matter.

LOL... tomatoes are absolutely delicious and practically a staple in my daily diet.

I can't afford organic chicken. Maybe I'll put my own chicken coop next to the home garden if things get to squirrelly.

reply to post by larphillips


The price hikes have just begun.

For those who haven't been paying attention, the global weather system is on extreme mode this year.

One of the reasons for this, I think, is a substantial increase in the number of fireballs entering the atmosphere since 2005, when the average number of fireballs reported over the US was 1.28 a day. Today's rate for this year is...let me check...4.51 per day as documented in this thread:

Welcome to the shooting gallery: fireball incidence 2005:1.28/day 2011:4.94/day

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Each fireball adds a bit of energy to the atmosphere, more energy means stronger storms. Add the recent increase in solar activity and we have a super-charged weather system.

This has resulted in excessive rains, snow, drought and wind that have damaged crops worldwide; reports of crop damage from 30%-80% are common.

Add in political volatility that drives up oil and the result is this:

WSJMarket Watch:“Record food prices,record metal prices&high oil & you have an inflation firestorm

www.abovetopsecret.com...

I've planted a garden and am in the process of expanding it to ensure my own food supply. I recommend everyone who can to likewise, even if it is only a window garden: it could make the difference between considering a salad something normal or a luxury item you can only dream about.

You may not be aware that throughout Asia right now they are battling an epidemic of H5N1 (bird flu) that is killing or requiring the destruction of tens of millions chickens and ducks, further stressing food supplies.

You might want to visit the sites in this thread, just in case things get really bad.

Famine food websites

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Prepare now while you can, or go hungry later this year.

Originally posted by darkpassenger23
well technically home gardens are against the law there was a bill passed toward the end of last year look up senate bill s510 so get used to the high prices lol

So what exactly will their enforcement policy be? Is this going to be from local police or federal agents? Will there be a fine? Will they demand immediate destruction of the crops?

Considering the current state of the world, any kind of massive and harsh enforcement on a person's home garden will most certainly result in violent clashes, protests, and general unrest.

Originally posted by Illusionsaregrander

Originally posted by tsawyer2
I think this year I'll double the number of plants and set up a tomato stand out in my front yard.

Im going to up my number of plants this year too, but I think I am going to learn to can. Yet another of those old time skills that we need to revive for the hard times ahead.

I can my green beans and snow peas and pickle my cucumbers. I make and can salsa too from my tomatoes and peppers with additional organic ingredients I can get at the farmers market. I also have a bunch of blackberries which I make into jam. In June, I visit my local organic strawberry farm and make strawberry jam with those as well. For me it's fun and over time saves me money. It also tastes better than store bought. My mom taught me how to can when I was young, even if dad didn't think it was the right thing to teach the boy how to do this.

They also make great presents to give friends.

The one thing I can't seem to get right is making fresh tomato sauce to can. There must be a trick to it I have not learned yet.

On Topic: With a little bit of effort and investment in a canner (which I use a 4 gallon steel pot for), some jars, lids we can help ourselves avoid these nasty price increases.

Originally posted by DirtyStinkyRabbit
reply to post by larphillips

 

When I went through the drive through at the Wendy's a couple days ago they had a sign on the speaker that said "Tomatoes by request only. If we have them. "

And that's just sad considering most fast food tomatoes are generally flavorless and mealy anyway. I can only imagine that 95% of the nutrition has been bred out of them as well. There is probably more nutition in the ketchup than in all of the "veggies" on a burger combined... and this is coming from someone who actually likes Wendy's burgers.

reply to post by Illusionsaregrander


Canning is pretty easy, get the ball canning book, it's really good! I started with my own veggies, and am now up to beef stew, but hubby has been eating as fast as I can it!

Originally posted by tsawyer2The one thing I can't seem to get right is making fresh tomato sauce to can. There must be a trick to it I have not learned yet.

On Topic: With a little bit of effort and investment in a canner (which I use a 4 gallon steel pot for), some jars, lids we can help ourselves avoid these nasty price increases.

The trick is to blanch then skin your tomatoes. It's easier then to can them as whole tomatoes and make your sauce after you open up the jar. Also, using the right tomatoes for this is key. You can't go wrong with the plum/roma varieties... more meat and less seed and goo. Good luck with this. There is nothing better than a pasta sauce made in the winter with some nice, home canned summer tomatoes.

i went to the supermarket and i saw a gallon of milk for $7.95. wtf. what excuse to they have for the cows.

they ran out of antifreeze for the cows so their milk bladder froze.

it's great being a nobody citizen with no cash. that's a challenge. humility and humbleness are the greatest weapons that and a good right hook.

Everybody should have chickens for eggs. A dozen chickens will keep you in as many eggs as you could possibly eat and they wont require any feed or special expenses. They pretty much run on auto-pilot eating bugs and things once you have a coup set up.

The only expense you might incur is ammunition for keeping coyotes away.

Goats too. Two goats and you'll be swimming in milk.

Two goats, 10-12 chickens and a small 100 square foot garden and you shouldnt ever have to buy any food from anybody. Of course you might get sick of eating the same thing over and over but how hardcore you want to be about it is your choice.

Keep bees too if you can.

Trouble is nobody has yards anymore. We've all been piled into these concrete and drywall boxes atop asphalt control grids. We live just like the pharma-soaked chickens in some Tyson factory.

And if you do happen to have a yard chances are good you have to conform to all sorts of codes and policies which would make you a criminal for having a chicken thanks to yuppie rule.