Saturday, June 13, 2009

cost of food

A few days ago a friend of ours sent a couple steers to auction. These were between 700-900 pounds each. He got a lousy $0.55/pound. That barely covers what was put into them in feed. We sold one of ours by halves, and got $1.50/pound hanging weight. Each half averaged just over 350 pounds. Think about that the next time you go to the grocery/butcher and complain about the high cost of beef. None of the growers up here are making crap for a profit, but someone sure is. If you are looking to save money on meat, and have the option, go directly to someone who raises them and buy a quarter/half.
The dairy farmer lost almost 50% of their income. Have milk prices dropped by that much in the stores? I think not. Unfortunately it is not quite as easy to buy milk directly from the farmer. Unless you are lucky enough to know one, and haven't been scared away by all the dire consequences the FDA talks about. How the milk hasn't been pasteurized yet, and what all kinds of bacteria are in there before hand. Folks, back in our parents and grandparents day, they would grab a jug of milk straight from the bulk tanks, and it didn't hurt them any.
I'm not sure how the produce farmers are doing right now, only because I don't know any. But I would bet they are in the same boat as milk and beef. Someone out there is getting plenty rich, and it isn't the little guys.

Save a steer, eat a PETA member.

3 comments:

Diane said...

I thought steers were going to market at around 1250-1300 lbs? Maybe thats older beef? Prices haven't dropped that I've noticed.. but they really haven't gone UP. I can still pick up Tbones for 3.97 on sale.. same as a couple years ago. And the price of corn has gone up, what with the biofuels and other crap. Smart move, destroying food to power vehicles! idiots.. the milk I buy, promised land, has dropped a bit in price.. its 3.19 for a half-gallon now. Hormone free milk, will pay a bit extra for that. At least we don't go through milk like hub and I did when we first got married, just the two of us, around 7 gallons a week. But then we shopped at the navy commissary, i could pick up hamburger really cheaply there. Produce, I buy from the local market here that buys from small farms here and resells the produce. EXCEPT CORN! I will NOT be looking at another worm in my corn, throwing it across my kitchen screaming doign the heebie jeebie dance!

USA_Admiral said...

It makes you wonder what the hell has happened.

I think in the old times they were healthier than we will ever be today. We have way too much added to everything we eat.

Bob G. said...

E/L:
Yeah, I can relate...add to that RISING gas prices.
(must be time to DRIVE SOMEWHERE to get awat from all this crap, right?)

Ethanol...far from the BEST way to save us with "alternative fuel"....just the ONLY one (that's gonna screw things up 7 ways from Sunday).

Yepper...gotta love PROGRESS!

(not)

Welcome to:
BIZARRO WORLD, kids!

:)