mama2cntrykids Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 Ok, I'm curious. I have a friend (who I love and I am not slamming) who is telling everyone to buy a wheat grinder and stock up on wheat berries and corn. She is saying this b/c much of the nation has had high heat/very little or no rain. So...she's anticipating wheat and corn products (which is much of what our nation eats) will be through the roof. I've been trying to find some one who can give me more info as to if the above is true and I can't find anyone (besides my friend). What do you think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hthnmamax2 Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 I really don't know much about it but I found this article and several others like it when I Googled. http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/markets/prices-for-beans-grains-race-higher-with-little-relief-in-sight-from-blistering-heat-wave/2012/07/16/gJQARGu9oW_story.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer3141 Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 What I've heard from my neighbors is that our area is having a rotten feed corn harvest this year. It's so dry that the stalks are drying out at the bottom so no moisture is getting to the ears. I live next door to a fabulous organic farm with an extensive irrigation system so I know I'll have plenty of sweet corn but feed corn is grown differently and many of the large farms up here do not have irrigation systems. Since many commercial farms feed corn to cattle and since we will likely have a shortage of corn, the price of corn will go up which will drive the cost of corn fed beef up. I buy pasture buffalo and that farm says nothing is significantly different this year and most of my friends buy pasture beef and they've been told to expect a 3-5% price increase just because they've had to spend more time/labor making sure their cattle had water this summer. :( So it looks like supermarket, corn fed beef will be higher but if you've been doing grass fed beef you won't be impacted too much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 Yep. Our own cornfields (around town) hasn't made it to my kneecap. Prices are skyrocketing. Really, I'd appreciate some balance. LAst year at this time it was so rainy that we didn't go in the pool for the rest of the year. Almost every day it poured. Now we're in a drought and every field -unless irrigated-is parched like we live in Arizona. Balance would be good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 (edited) With a drought like this, I definitely expect food prices to go up - how should they not? Unless there is massive government intervention with subsidies. A bad corn harvest will make a lot of other foods more expensive, because corn is used to feed cattle. So, dairy and meat should be expected to go up in price as well. ETA: I do not think it is a reason to panic and stock up on food, though. Edited July 16, 2012 by regentrude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 I thought I saw something in the news about corn prices. Perhaps it's just as well; I shouldn't be eating so much corn anyway. Carbs are not my friend :tongue_smilie: I hadn't heard anything about wheat, but as for the wheat berries and grinder, your friend is assuming people would rather grind their own. Do wheat berries stay fresh that much longer than flour? (I'm not a person who would think twice about using year-old flour - or older - stored in a plastic container.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wy_kid_wrangler04 Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 Panic stock up mode? No. I very much believe though that prices will go way up this fall and winter due to the drought. There will be less because of it and a large demand. Perfect recipe for higher prices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/16/us/us-drought/index.html?hpt=hp_c1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex-mex Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 (edited) Yep. Our own cornfields (around town) hasn't made it to my kneecap. Prices are skyrocketing. Really, I'd appreciate some balance. LAst year at this time it was so rainy that we didn't go in the pool for the rest of the year. Almost every day it poured. Now we're in a drought and every field -unless irrigated-is parched like we live in Arizona. Balance would be good. Corn prices will skyrocket in our area too. This is due to the drought. However, keep in mind there has been a high level pressure system over most of the nation for the season -- causing more drought like conditions for crops. The upper level cold air jetstream is staying up north in Canada and not moving down south -- which is why there is little rain this season and higher temperatures. And last year in our area, the wheat crops were in high demand overseas from countries like Russia (they are going thru terrible wheat crops dying due to drought & disease) -- but last year's harvest was not too stellar from what I understood. The Russians also sell wheat to markets like the middle east and their problems affected the market price to go up sky high. And Russia made a ban on exporting wheat a few years back. Again, weather related. I do not use large amounts of flour or cornmeal. I see the OP's friends point. But I am not sure I would go and buy a wheat grinder at this point a la Ma did with her coffee grinder in Laura Ingalls Wilder's The Long Winter. :D Edited July 16, 2012 by tex-mex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 I thought I saw something in the news about corn prices. Perhaps it's just as well; I shouldn't be eating so much corn anyway. Carbs are not my friend :tongue_smilie: I hadn't heard anything about wheat, but as for the wheat berries and grinder, your friend is assuming people would rather grind their own. Do wheat berries stay fresh that much longer than flour? (I'm not a person who would think twice about using year-old flour - or older - stored in a plastic container.) This is my experience. I haven't heard about wheat, but have heard the news about corn. But either way, I can't/shouldn't eat either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alyeska Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 You should tell her to stock up on meat...feed prices will go higher, therefore meat will go up in cost. :tongue_smilie: From what I know, there have been worse droughts. I think I read that the midwest drought in 2004 was way worse than this one. And I don't remember significant grocery price increases that year or the following year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalynnrmc Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 Yep. Our own cornfields (around town) hasn't made it to my kneecap. Prices are skyrocketing. Really, I'd appreciate some balance. LAst year at this time it was so rainy that we didn't go in the pool for the rest of the year. Almost every day it poured. Now we're in a drought and every field -unless irrigated-is parched like we live in Arizona. Balance would be good. Opposite for us. Last year was crazy dry, worst drought in 10 years, ranchers selling off entire herds of cattle. This year... it's rained in July. Twice. (Not to mention that the month is only half over.) That never happens. Guess it depends where in the country you are. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mama2cntrykids Posted July 17, 2012 Author Share Posted July 17, 2012 I thought I saw something in the news about corn prices. Perhaps it's just as well; I shouldn't be eating so much corn anyway. Carbs are not my friend :tongue_smilie: I hadn't heard anything about wheat, but as for the wheat berries and grinder, your friend is assuming people would rather grind their own. Do wheat berries stay fresh that much longer than flour? (I'm not a person who would think twice about using year-old flour - or older - stored in a plastic container.) From what my friend said, yes, wheat berries can store for years (if stored properly) and still be good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 It depends on the area. Last year was the worst drought in our area since they've been keeping records--more 100+ days and less precip than the Dirty 30s or the drought in the 50s. We're still in a drought and the crops aren't great (again, it depends on where you are, even in the same state), but we had more precip just in the first few months of 2012 than we did in all of 2011. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Most of the corn crops in our state have been turned into silage (chopped to feed to cattle). Most of the hay crop in our state was lost. Our wheat crop was harvested 3 weeks early in our state, and it was ok. Prices will be up (for grains, beef, chicken, etc.).... I don't know that I'd go store wheat and buy a grinder if I didn't normally cook from scratch, but I would anticipate an increase in food prices... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dory Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Well I should be in good shape then as I already have a years supply of my heritage wheat. and my own grinder. As for corn, not sure what I'd use it for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Corn here is gorgeous, but the famers irrigate. I wouldn't be as worried about wheat prices as about corn, and therefore beef. Maybe a rise in corn-based food prices will make people start thinking a bit more about what they eat... might not be a bad thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 I don't know that I'd go store wheat and buy a grinder if I didn't normally cook from scratch, but I would anticipate an increase in food prices... :iagree: The news here said it was the worst national drought in 12 years. I don't recall foot shortages 12 years ago, but I suspect prices went higher. We're in one of the areas not in the drought (and I want to say that very carefully as it could, of course, change), so I think farmers could do very well here. But that won't feed the whole country. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 wheat usually goes on world price. We have heard about the lower than average crop expected in USA, but other countries like Australia are having a big crop this year (good rains). So the world price is not expected to go up by much. America will probably just export a little less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 We are certainly not doing anything special but I do see prices going up. We are in Western Michigan and if we get 4 more 90+ days we will have the hottest July on record and we have had NO rain all of July and only a trace in June so we are 6-8 inches below normal for rainfall and that is coming off a winter with well below normal snowfall. The corn is not looking good here at all. Hay prices are WAY up---some farmers are getting double the price per bale this year than they did last as there just is no hay and nothing is growing for a 2nd or 3rd cutting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lea1 Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 My brother raises cattle in northeastern Oklahoma. I was talking to him the other day and he said he was almost done with haying for this summer because it was all burning up. He normally does not finish haying until sometime in October. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meriwether Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 My parents are in their second year of drought. Last year the farmers in the area got 10-15 bushel corn - for those who don't know farming, that ain't good. BIL arranged for the locals to ship stalks down to Texas otherwise it would have been a total loss for the county. They had good wheat this year. Corn will be bad again. Here in Iowa we are very dry now but had good rains early. I think if we get anything soon we'll be okay with corn. I haven't asked Dh about soybeans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meriwether Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 My brother raises cattle in northeastern Oklahoma. I was talking to him the other day and he said he was almost done with haying for this summer because it was all burning up. He normally does not finish haying until sometime in October. I don't know if Dad is getting enough hay this year. It used to be our strongest cash crop, but I doubt he'll get enough for his own herd this year. Farmers may be selling their corn stalks locally this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparrow Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 We are certainly not doing anything special but I do see prices going up. We are in Western Michigan and if we get 4 more 90+ days we will have the hottest July on record and we have had NO rain all of July and only a trace in June so we are 6-8 inches below normal for rainfall and that is coming off a winter with well below normal snowfall. The corn is not looking good here at all. Hay prices are WAY up---some farmers are getting double the price per bale this year than they did last as there just is no hay and nothing is growing for a 2nd or 3rd cutting. :iagree::iagree:The folks I know that have hay were getting more than winter prices in June. That is BAD news for grocery prices. My friends that have horses have stopped selling hay to make sure they'll have enough to feed this winter :tongue_smilie:. I am a little worried, but I'm not stockpiling. Yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 With a drought like this, I definitely expect food prices to go up - how should they not? Unless there is massive government intervention with subsidies.A bad corn harvest will make a lot of other foods more expensive, because corn is used to feed cattle. So, dairy and meat should be expected to go up in price as well. ETA: I do not think it is a reason to panic and stock up on food, though. :iagree: However, maybe I'm biased. We eat very, very little grain here and we haven't had watering bans yet, so the gardens are coming along okay. I'll still have produce to can, freeze, and dehydrate so that probably jades my view of how badly prices might go up. I really do not buy very much produce during the winter and spring, and since I'm gluten free and slightly sensitive to corn, rice is about the only grain we use these days. Faith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 The only thing I am stock piling is HAY :-) I have 400 bales in the barn right now and I have another 60 waiting for me to have room and then I will go pick that up (it is last year's hay but clean and dust free). That will give me 460 bales for 3 horses for the year. Last year I used about 300-325 bales for 4 horses.........but the bales were a bit bigger and we had a MILD winter, and the horses had PASTURE. I have pictures of my horses on pasture in December last year--just for an hour or so a day. This year they have NO pasture as it has all burned up so I am feeding hay now already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonfirmath Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Opposite for us. Last year was crazy dry, worst drought in 10 years, ranchers selling off entire herds of cattle. This year... it's rained in July. Twice. (Not to mention that the month is only half over.) That never happens. Guess it depends where in the country you are. ;) Here in Austin folks are losing their corn crop for the second year in a row. Sure, we're getting more rain. But it was too late in the season and not enough to save the crop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 According to NOAA, over 46% of the nation are in moderate to severe drought category. I bet grains are going to be sky high. It's already risen around here. That means that chicken, eggs, beef, etc. are going to be very high soon too. We had to feed hay the middle of JUNE; that has never happened. The drought was so severe that we didn't have any green grass. On 43 acreas, the only green was on our septic field lines. We will likely be selling beef cows by fall. Pretty much every farmer in our area will be doing the same. This means that beef prices may fall for a time because of the glut in the market, but next spring they will go VERY high. We will only be keeping the cows for which we have enough hay (from the spring cutting) to feed through the winter. http://www.drought.noaa.gov/ http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex-mex Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 wheat usually goes on world price. We have heard about the lower than average crop expected in USA, but other countries like Australia are having a big crop this year (good rains). So the world price is not expected to go up by much. America will probably just export a little less. :iagree: I'm glad Australia is having a good year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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