No butter or wheat in Japan...scary!

[langfam]

http://business.theage.com.au/japans-hunger-becomes-a-dire-warning-for-other-nations/20080420-27ey.html

 

I thought we had it bad with soaring wheat, and dairy prices. Japan is far worse off!

[Jean in Newcastle]

Japan does not have the land that we have to put aside for agricultural use. Even much of it's rice comes from other countries.

[JFSinIL]

Japan does not have the land that we have to put aside for agricultural use. Even much of it's rice comes from other countries.

 

So unless Japan wants to pay a LOT more - countries might be inclined to keep their rice/wheat/dairy at home for their own folks to eat...or sell to highest bidder???

[Quiver0f10]

What does this mean?

 

A 130% rise in the global cost of wheat in the past year, caused partly by surging demand from China and India and a huge injection of speculative funds into wheat futures, has forced the Government to hit flour millers with three rounds of stiff mark-ups.

[Jean in Wisc]

What does this mean?

 

A 130% rise in the global cost of wheat in the past year, caused partly by surging demand from China and India and a huge injection of speculative funds into wheat futures, has forced the Government to hit flour millers with three rounds of stiff mark-ups.

 

People are going out and buying wheat that is not out of the field yet. They are speculators when there is no "real" wheat being purchased. There is a future's market where my dh can sell 10,000 bushels of his crop to someone and he will deliver it in the future, when it comes out of the field. We can take the money and they hold a paper that says they will get our crop when it is harvested.

 

If there is a demand from China and India, people assume that the cost of the wheat will only go up, so if they buy it now, they might make more money on it when they actually have it--so they buy the futures and hold on to it or, perhaps, sell it in the futures market when they think the prices are done going up. Buyers are willing to pay big money for it if they believe there is going to be a profit, and when they do get the wheat, the price is marked up so high that the millers must pass that onto the buyers.

 

If you do not have the crop, do not plan to ever touch it or see it, but are just planning to use it to make money, you are speculating.

 

Does that help?

[Tracy in Ky]

Wow.

 

Dh has been talking about buying a scythe. Maybe we should! If we start threshing wheat, I'll let ya'll know. lol! :D

[Kelli in TN]

I missed out on Y2K, though my dh did buy some bottled water and canned beans. I mostly just laughed at him.

 

 

But all this talk about empty grocery store shelves and prices that won't stop going up is really bothering me. I don't get worried about this sort of thing too easily.

 

Y'all are scaring me. Quick, someone tell me to get a grip before I become one of those people who lines their hallway with buckets of grains!!!!

[CookieMonster]

But all this talk about empty grocery store shelves and prices that won't stop going up is really bothering me. I don't get worried about this sort of thing too easily.

 

Y'all are scaring me. Quick, someone tell me to get a grip before I become one of those people who lines their hallway with buckets of grains!!!!

 

(disclaimer: this is coming from someone who is not well-versed in all the ins and outs of this 'stuff'.)

 

Kelli, when I think about these things with food, I really don't get too panicked. There is a whole lot of rural farmland out there sitting idle. Farmer's children have been parceling off and selling pieces of the land for decades now because there just wasn't the need for so many farms. The farming techniques had increased production so fewer farms were needed.

 

So, I see that there's a lot of room for us to bounce back. It might be a rocky few years (might!) but during that time, entrepenurial-minded Americans will be starting up farms and the supply will increase again.

 

That's just my big picture view.

[Kelli in TN]

(disclaimer: this is coming from someone who is not well-versed in all the ins and outs of this 'stuff'.)

 

Kelli, when I think about these things with food, I really don't get too panicked. There is a whole lot of rural farmland out there sitting idle. Farmer's children have been parceling off and selling pieces of the land for decades now because there just wasn't the need for so many farms. The farming techniques had increased production so fewer farms were needed.

 

So, I see that there's a lot of room for us to bounce back. It might be a rocky few years (might!) but during that time, entrepenurial-minded Americans will be starting up farms and the supply will increase again.

 

That's just my big picture view.

 

 

But, in the meantime, should I line my hallways with buckets of grain? You know, just to survive the duration.

[Amy in NY]

Y'all are scaring me. Quick, someone tell me to get a grip before I become one of those people who lines their hallway with buckets of grains!!!!

 

I order from a co-op a few times per year. I just doubled my beans order and am now kicking myself for not doubling my rice order as well. I, too, generally ignore this stuff but with 5 kids to feed and a self-employed dh, I'm getting a bit nervous as to how we are going to afford to feed us all if food prices keep going up.

 

Amy

[Quiver0f10]

Does that help?

 

Thank you, yes it does!

[Quiver0f10]

But, in the meantime, should I line my hallways with buckets of grain? You know, just to survive the duration.

 

I am not one to panic either, but with 12 of us to feed, I am stocking up on grains and beans. And now, I will add butter to my list :D

[Melissa in NC]

As far as butter goes, Earth Balance is pretty good. How is the soy bean and olive markets??

[Myrtle]

(disclaimer: this is coming from someone who is not well-versed in all the ins and outs of this 'stuff'.)

 

Kelli, when I think about these things with food, I really don't get too panicked. There is a whole lot of rural farmland out there sitting idle. Farmer's children have been parceling off and selling pieces of the land for decades now because there just wasn't the need for so many farms. The farming techniques had increased production so fewer farms were needed.

 

So, I see that there's a lot of room for us to bounce back. It might be a rocky few years (might!) but during that time, entrepenurial-minded Americans will be starting up farms and the supply will increase again.

 

That's just my big picture view.

 

Just think of entrepreneurial potential of this for homeschooling moms.

 

I can plow up my suburban backyard and plant corn and beans.

 

My grandmother had a large garden and it yielded a suprising amount of food, I remember spending forever shucking corn and beans when we harvested it and she needed a giant deep freeze to store it all. Something like that would really help keep the food budget to something reasonable.

[Julie in CA]

Oops.

[Shelly in VA]

Even our little square foot gardening plots we plant each spring yield more tomatoes than our family of 6 can eat (we usually plant 3 tomato plants), enough blueberries from 1 bush to supply our family plus 2 neighbors through the season, and green beans, peas, and peppers for the summer. We plant three 1' x 1' boxes, and have the blueberry bush in the yard.

 

So, while I like to increase our "crop" size each year simply because it's enjoyable and good for the kids to help me in the garden, I could easily plant more if I NEEDED to. Not that we'd be self-sustaining, by any stretch of the imagination, but my point is, I don't think it's time to panic.

 

Shelly

[langfam]

We live in what used to be a rural area. We used to be surrounded by farms, but over the last 10 years, we've see the land being sold to developers and homes being built! In fact just in the last couple of years it's been on the increase. Farm land into subdivisions, townhouses, new high school and middle school. It breaks my heart. We always pray for the remaining farms/farmers/their families as we pass them.

My sister-in-law lives down the road in an old plantation style home that used to be the main home in the area. She's now completely surrounded by cookie-cutter homes.

[Mamagistra]

But, in the meantime, should I line my hallways with buckets of grain? You know, just to survive the duration.

 

No, Kelli: coffee beans! :lol::lol:

[langfam]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24262084/

[FlockOfSillies]

http://risingsunpundit.blogspot.com/2008/04/food-shortages-in-japan-what.html

 

Maybe we can turn down the hysteria volume a notch or two, hmm?

[Guest Virginia Dawn]

Thanks!

[Mama Lynx]

Just think of entrepreneurial potential of this for homeschooling moms.

 

I can plow up my suburban backyard and plant corn and beans.

 

My grandmother had a large garden and it yielded a suprising amount of food, I remember spending forever shucking corn and beans when we harvested it and she needed a giant deep freeze to store it all. Something like that would really help keep the food budget to something reasonable.

 

It drives me up the wall that I cannot have a garden right now. That is the big downside for the moving around that we do.

 

My grandmother had a large garden too, and grew all her salad and vegetables for the summer.

[Jenny in Atl]

Just think of entrepreneurial potential of this for homeschooling moms.

 

I can plow up my suburban backyard and plant corn and beans.

 

My grandmother had a large garden and it yielded a suprising amount of food, I remember spending forever shucking corn and beans when we harvested it and she needed a giant deep freeze to store it all. Something like that would really help keep the food budget to something reasonable.

 

There is a bk about this I want to read. y bad back keeps me from doing this more, but if prices keep going up, I know dh would finally get off his bum and help!

http://www.amazon.com/Food-Not-Lawns-Neighborhood-Community/dp/193339207X/ref=wl_it_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=I4P5RCU6ZNI77&colid=1232WLOUEE2Z

[JennifersLost]

That sounds like a really cool book. I was telling dh about this post this morning and he said, "That's why we're moving out of town to an acre of land, baby!"

 

Poor man - he's a frustrated gardener. He keeps planting fruit trees and we keep moving before they grow big enough to harvest.

[CookieMonster]

http://risingsunpundit.blogspot.com/2008/04/food-shortages-in-japan-what.html

 

Maybe we can turn down the hysteria volume a notch or two, hmm?

 

Hey, that's cool.