# Grocery Shock.



## MoonRiver (Sep 2, 2007)

I rarely eat steak, but often check prices just to get an idea of how fast prices are going up. Prices on steak and most items didn't seem to have gone up that much - until this morning. I was looking for a cheap cut of meat I could cook in the pressure cooker, mainly to add flavor to the vegetables. The cheapest cut of meat I found was $8.99/lb. I also saw that the price of bananas has doubled and there still seems to be a shortage of potatoes. Even laundry detergent and bleach have gotten much more expensive.

I guess it's time to start looking for sales.


----------



## HDRider (Jul 21, 2011)

Buy from a farmer


----------



## Evons hubby (Oct 3, 2005)

MoonRiver said:


> I rarely eat steak, but often check prices just to get an idea of how fast prices are going up. Prices on steak and most items didn't seem to have gone up that much - until this morning. I was looking for a cheap cut of meat I could cook in the pressure cooker, mainly to add flavor to the vegetables. The cheapest cut of meat I found was $8.99/lb. I also saw that the price of bananas has doubled and there still seems to be a shortage of potatoes. Even laundry detergent and bleach have gotten much more expensive.
> 
> I guess it's time to start looking for sales.


Or road kill.


----------



## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

We hit a wild hog once. Made tamales.


----------



## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

The pumpkins selling for $12.98 each in front of Home Depot a few days ago sure looked the same as the ones for $4.68 inside of Walmart. Different buyer I guess. 
I should have planted a lot more of my own.


----------



## MoonRiver (Sep 2, 2007)

HDRider said:


> Buy from a farmer


Not cheaper unless you are buying in bulk.


----------



## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Local pork at Farmers Market is stupid high. $40 for a pork roast.


----------



## oldasrocks (Oct 27, 2006)

If I see a 3 legged cow I will know the farmers is selling off his herd one piece at a time.


----------



## GunMonkeyIntl (May 13, 2013)

MoonRiver said:


> I rarely eat steak, but often check prices just to get an idea of how fast prices are going up. Prices on steak and most items didn't seem to have gone up that much - until this morning. I was looking for a cheap cut of meat I could cook in the pressure cooker, mainly to add flavor to the vegetables. The cheapest cut of meat I found was $8.99/lb. I also saw that the price of bananas has doubled and there still seems to be a shortage of potatoes. Even laundry detergent and bleach have gotten much more expensive.
> 
> I guess it's time to start looking for sales.


I think Food Lion runs the same specials in Danville as they do in Martinsville and Eden. They had london broil for $3.99/# and Rib-eye for $7.99/# last week. I haven’t gone this week because I have a bunch of stuff in the freezer left to process but, this week, they have t-bone for $6.99 and bottom round roast for $5.49. Either of those would have been great in a pressure-cook or stew.

Meat is pretty cheap right now. I expect it to go up soon, but prices are low at the moment.


----------



## nodak3 (Feb 5, 2003)

We have spent 52 years buying only what is on sale, and freezing/canning/drying/storing stuff. We grow what we can, also. So inflation hurts, but not nearly as much as it could.

I cannot conceive of the idea of not buying only what is on sale, lol.


----------



## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

My kids used to roll their eyes when they went grocery shopping with me. "Mom, can't you do the shopping? All dad buys is generic stuff whith smashed boxes. Colonel Crunch is not the same as Captain Crunch!"


----------



## Orchardsmith (5 mo ago)

nodak3 said:


> We have spent 52 years buying only what is on sale, and freezing/canning/drying/storing stuff. We grow what we can, also. So inflation hurts, but not nearly as much as it could.
> 
> I cannot conceive of the idea of not buying only what is on sale, lol.


This is the eternal smart strategy. Since most everything is on sale now and then, buying what's on sale will give a nice balance sooner or later. Inflation and poverty make frugality more necessary than usual. Such is life. I'm eating just fine, and will continue to do so until the statists get more serious than they are now. This is why I fear a digital currency. The restrictions that come with it will be the problem.


----------



## mreynolds (Jan 1, 2015)

GTX63 said:


> My kids used to roll their eyes when they went grocery shopping with me. "Mom, can't you do the shopping? All dad buys is generic stuff whith smashed boxes. Colonel Crunch is not the same as Captain Crunch!"


That's when you say that Colonel Crunch outranks the Captain.


----------



## mreynolds (Jan 1, 2015)

Bought 2 steaks for next weekend's fishing trip. It was 7.99lb. But I have seen it much higher and a few times down to 5.99lb. I don't think it will stay down for long though. It has only been that low for the summer. I'm thinking due to drought.
The sale barns have been packed this summer trying to get them off the grass.


----------



## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

mreynolds said:


> That's when you say that Colonel Crunch outranks the Captain.


Expiration dates are just suggestions.
I always thought they overreacted when the paint on the box was faded or the label was missing from the can.
It is either beans, okra or soup, all a win win.


----------



## Forcast (Apr 15, 2014)

HDRider said:


> Buy from a farmer


Oh you want high price go to the farmer. Unreal around me wva


----------



## GunMonkeyIntl (May 13, 2013)

Forcast said:


> Oh you want high price go to the farmer. Unreal around me wva


When it comes to meat, my experience has been that farmers and stand-alone butcher shops are the highest priced, but they are also the best quality. The ribeye you get at the grocery store, on sale for $8/lb, is not going to be as nice a cut as you get from the on-site butcher shop for $15/lb.

When I want some really good steaks, I don’t go to the grocery store for what’s on sale. I get it from one of the local farmers or the butcher shops they sell to. Of course, those steaks never see the inside of the freezer, either.


----------



## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

You can hide mediocre beef inside of crockpots, pork with sauces and chicken in casseroles and rice.
There is a place and time for every grade.


----------



## SWTXRancher_1975 (8 mo ago)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> Local pork at Farmers Market is stupid high. $40 for a pork roast.


It's artisanal!

I don't really trust farmers markets in Texas and that's a shame. The lack of regulation means a whole lot of the people selling at them are just reselling wholesale crap. I can't tell you how often I see people selling ****ty green bell peppers or something equally as obvious outside of season.

If it's not clearly an heirloom fruit/veggie. I'm probably going to pass.
If I can't buy a whole hog from you, I'm probably going to pass.


----------



## sniper69 (Sep 23, 2007)

GTX63 said:


> My kids used to roll their eyes when they went grocery shopping with me. "Mom, can't you do the shopping? All dad buys is generic stuff whith smashed boxes. Colonel Crunch is not the same as Captain Crunch!"


I do the majority of the grocery shopping, and know what stores have what (usually) cheaper for things we use the most. So I'll shop for some items when I'm out and about and near a particular store. My wife has learned, when i say I'm going to the store, do you need anything - to ask me what store I'm going too. Depending on my answer, I'll often get a nevermind. 

When my wife does go with me to grocery shop she will look at prices of things and say wow that's expensive. I usually smile big and reply, it's not 1995 anymore.

edit to add: but regardless - food prices are up all over, and one needs to be smart when shopping (like the bigger container isn't always the better deal on price per ounce, etc)


----------



## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Our market is regulated by the operator. She even stopped her sister from reselling other people's eggs. Everything is local.

It also helps to know most of the growers personally.


----------



## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

Yep. When we still had teenagers and they knew she was going to the store, she would get their lists, lol. Then she would come home and complain about the bill.
I would offer to make a cake or cookies rather than buy them the stuff just so I could hear them groan and roll their eyes.
"Come on, get the flour and the eggs and the rolling pin and the wax paper, chop chop!"


----------



## MoonRiver (Sep 2, 2007)

GTX63 said:


> Yep. When we still had teenagers and they knew she was going to the store, she would get their lists, lol. Then she would come home and complain about the bill.
> I would offer to make a cake or cookies rather than buy them the stuff just so I could hear them groan and roll their eyes.
> "Come on, get the flour and the eggs and the rolling pin and the wax paper, chop chop!"


I bake almost every day. Lately, my breakfast or snack is ground flax seeds and oats. unsweetened chocolate powder, half a banana, some chopped walnuts, baking powder, egg, almond milk, and sweeten to taste. Bake for about 20 minutes (muffins).


----------



## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

GTX63 said:


> ..........
> I would offer to make a cake or cookies rather than buy them the stuff just so I could hear them groan and roll their eyes.


That's odd. My kid and all of his friend s adored home baked goodies. They much preferred them to anything store bought and my kid, now grown, won't eat store bought baked goods because they don't taste good.

The small horde of locusts that my son hung out with would stand around watching, or helping, and shoveling cookies into their mouths as fast as they came out of the oven. Those kids had every possible type of store bought goodie at home and they all preferred home baked.


----------



## HDRider (Jul 21, 2011)

Forcast said:


> Oh you want high price go to the farmer. Unreal around me wva


I sell my beef for $4.50 per pound hanging weight. That comes to about $6 per pound in the freezer. I wish I could raise my price, but I get few takers now.


----------



## Orchardsmith (5 mo ago)

GTX63 said:


> You can hide mediocre beef inside of crockpots, pork with sauces and chicken in casseroles and rice.
> There is a place and time for every grade.


. . . and a purpose to every seasoning under heaven. . . : - )😂😂


----------



## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

pork was on last week 2 for 1 i got 2 for 8 dollars. the only red meat i eat now is venison. my son has plenty for both of us and he's ready for this years hunting anyway. i stopped buying some things and like someone else mentioned i only buy on sale. mom always made a war cake every sat. no eggs and very little butter. by the time i came along they weren't rationed on anything anymore but she still made that one because we all liked it. i think she made half doz at a time.

i made one this morning. i like it with rum sauce but i stopped buying heavy cream when it went up to scandalous so i used a little corn starch and canned milk (which i always have on hand). added a little kahlua . just as good as the original recipe. ~Georgia


----------



## ladytoysdream (Dec 13, 2008)

Went to a butcher shop this morning. They butcher live animals for farmers. 
Bought a eye of round roast for $ 4.95 a pound. Stew meat was 6.99 
a pound. Bought beef heart and plan is to grind the one end up and try for 
hamburg for us. The dog can have the rougher looking end. 
I think hamburg was 3.99 in a tube shape for 1 pound and it is 80/20 mix.


----------



## GunMonkeyIntl (May 13, 2013)

HDRider said:


> I sell my beef for $4.50 per pound hanging weight. That comes to about $6 per pound in the freezer. I wish I could raise my price, but I get few takers now.


Really? You occasionally see ground and a few other cheap cuts less than $6 on-sale, but $6, averaged out across all the cuts in a side, sounds like a smoking deal. The cheapest I’ve seen on sides here was $10 or $11 processed- admittedly have not looked in a while.

If I was closer, I’d buy my beef from you if it’s any good.


----------



## Adirondackian (Sep 26, 2021)

4.50 per lbs is what I see commonly around here from farmers, sometimes a little more sometimes a little less. I dont know how its worth the trouble when you factor in the processing fees. Seems like theres a lot of small farmers here competing for a small number of consumers who are buying direct. Most want to buy it from the supermarket, theyd rather pay 10 dollars a lb at walmart than 6 dollars from a farmer.


----------



## HDRider (Jul 21, 2011)

GunMonkeyIntl said:


> Really? You occasionally see ground and a few other cheap cuts less than $6 on-sale, but $6, averaged out across all the cuts in a side, sounds like a smoking deal. The cheapest I’ve seen on sides here was $10 or $11 processed- admittedly have not looked in a while.
> 
> If I was closer, I’d buy my beef from you if it’s any good.


It is good.


----------



## HDRider (Jul 21, 2011)

Adirondackian said:


> 4.50 per lbs is what I see commonly around here from farmers, sometimes a little more sometimes a little less. I dont know how its worth the trouble when you factor in the processing fees. Seems like theres a lot of small farmers here competing for a small number of consumers who are buying direct. Most want to buy it from the supermarket, theyd rather pay 10 dollars a lb at walmart than 6 dollars from a farmer.


The obstacle I run into, and it seems to always be the same, is freezer space. Folks just don't have the freezer space for 500 or even 250 pounds.


----------



## mreynolds (Jan 1, 2015)

HDRider said:


> It is good.


How far are you from Little Rock? I was there this last weekend.


----------



## MoonRiver (Sep 2, 2007)

HDRider said:


> The obstacle I run into, and it seems to always be the same, is freezer space. Folks just don't have the freezer space for 500 or even 250 pounds.


Maybe you could store it for them for a fee. They could buy 250 lbs and pick up 25 or 50 lbs a month.


----------



## HDRider (Jul 21, 2011)

mreynolds said:


> How far are you from Little Rock? I was there this last weekend.


Good ways - 180 miles


----------



## Crealcritter (12 mo ago)

When my grand kids came for visit, my wife sent me to the store for cereal. I had to defend myself and explain there's not a thing wrong with fruity loops or cherry-os.

Jesus is Lord and Christ 🙏❤🇺🇸


----------



## GunMonkeyIntl (May 13, 2013)

HDRider said:


> The obstacle I run into, and it seems to always be the same, is freezer space. Folks just don't have the freezer space for 500 or even 250 pounds.


That is a problem. We have freezer space good for at least 500# of beef, but it’s never empty. We treat our freezer space like a pantry and make sure it stays stocked and rotated. To do sides of beef, one would have to keep a freezer that they plan that into, and probably deal with it running mostly empty for just under half its duty cycle.

I suppose someone could come up with an efficient way to rotate freezer space on a seasonal basis, but I’ve never thought that through.


----------



## Forcast (Apr 15, 2014)




----------



## Forcast (Apr 15, 2014)

Friend in fla went out to eat and beef had a surcharge. Why not just up the price and not actually say its a surcharge?


----------



## Orchardsmith (5 mo ago)

GunMonkeyIntl said:


> That is a problem. We have freezer space good for at least 500# of beef, but it’s never empty. We treat our freezer space like a pantry and make sure it stays stocked and rotated. To do sides of beef, one would have to keep a freezer that they plan that into, and probably deal with it running mostly empty for just under half its duty cycle.
> 
> I suppose someone could come up with an efficient way to rotate freezer space on a seasonal basis, but I’ve never thought that through.


My best freezer tip was always to put everything in square buckets. Layering anything in a big chest freezer is a disaster, IMHO. The buckets can stack two tall, or one under a solid row of baskets on top. What's in the top of a bucket is in it all the way down. An alternative would be to have an inventory list nearby saying what is in each bucket. That would mean numbered buckets. Mix beef, pork, and lamb cuts so you don't pick out all the best stuff first.


----------



## RideBarefoot (Jun 29, 2008)

I used to be really good at meal planning for the week, making a list, and sticking to it. Now I go to the store, look to see what's on sale, and plan on the fly. Means I spend longer in the store, which I do not like.


----------



## Hiro (Feb 14, 2016)

I got out of the retail beef business 8 years ago. I am going back in. They are advertising 1/4 steers for $1,100.00 bucks down the road. 

As a mark of humility, I am out of my own beef . I have a processing date in September, 2023.....soonest I could get. 

I may have to just make my own walk in cooler....


----------



## Crealcritter (12 mo ago)

Hiro said:


> I got out of the retail beef business 8 years ago. I am going back in. They are advertising 1/4 steers for $1,100.00 bucks down the road.
> 
> As a mark of humility, I am out of my own beef . I have a processing date in September, 2023.....soonest I could get.
> 
> I may have to just make my own walk in cooler....


That's $4400 per steer 🤯

Jesus is Lord and Christ 🙏❤🇺🇸


----------



## Hiro (Feb 14, 2016)

Crealcritter said:


> That's $4400 per steer 🤯
> 
> Jesus is Lord and Christ 🙏❤🇺🇸


I have a minor in mathematics and despite that I could calculate that number....


----------



## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

Everyone is talking about the really long waits to get an animal processed. Need to go back to butchering in the fall and neighbors or family getting together to process large animals.


----------



## RJ2019 (Aug 27, 2019)

Orchardsmith said:


> My best freezer tip was always to put everything in square buckets. Layering anything in a big chest freezer is a disaster, IMHO. The buckets can stack two tall, or one under a solid row of baskets on top. What's in the top of a bucket is in it all the way down. An alternative would be to have an inventory list nearby saying what is in each bucket. That would mean numbered buckets. Mix beef, pork, and lamb cuts so you don't pick out all the best stuff first.


That's smart! I'm reasonably diligent about rotating the stuff in freezer so the older stuff is on top but I like your idea MUCH better. Too bad buckets are so expensive now.


----------



## mreynolds (Jan 1, 2015)

TxMex said:


> Everyone is talking about the really long waits to get an animal processed. Need to go back to butchering in the fall and neighbors or family getting together to process large animals.


My city boy BIL tried to kill and butcher a wild hog a few years ago in August right here in Texas. Didn't start until 1pm because he refused to get up early. I mean, what could go wrong. Right? He ruined not one but 2 yearling sows I had caught in a trap. I was going to feed out with corn for 3-4 weeks and wait for a cool Sept. morning to process. 

Most people just dont know what they dont know.


----------



## RJ2019 (Aug 27, 2019)

mreynolds said:


> My city boy BIL tried to kill and butcher a wild hog a few years ago in August right here in Texas. Didn't start until 1pm because he refused to get up early. I mean, what could go wrong. Right? He ruined not one but 2 yearling sows I had caught in a trap. I was going to feed out with corn for 3-4 weeks and wait for a cool Sept. morning to process.
> 
> Most people just dont know what they dont know.


Oh my!! If you're going to butcher in August, you better have a plan. I did a goat last August but I did it in the evening (work schedule) and was able to immediately refrigerate the meat after gutting and skinning (and quartering) it.


----------



## gilberte (Sep 25, 2004)

HDRider said:


> The obstacle I run into, and it seems to always be the same, is freezer space. Folks just don't have the freezer space for 500 or even 250 pounds.


Don't see why they couldn't get together with two or three friends and split it.
We've been "raising" venison in the apple orchard and garden all summer. We'll harvest one in November and butcher it ourselves.


----------



## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

RideBarefoot said:


> I used to be really good at meal planning for the week, making a list, and sticking to it. Now I go to the store, look to see what's on sale, and plan on the fly. Means I spend longer in the store, which I do not like.


We replace what we use, ie if I pull a can of cream of chicken soup, a can of tomato soup and a bag of chick peas from the pantry shelf, they go on the list and we replace them during the next grocery run. It helps eliminate surprises when we need something for a recipe and it helps keep the impulse buying down so we know about what we will spend.


----------



## GunMonkeyIntl (May 13, 2013)

Orchardsmith said:


> My best freezer tip was always to put everything in square buckets. Layering anything in a big chest freezer is a disaster, IMHO. The buckets can stack two tall, or one under a solid row of baskets on top. What's in the top of a bucket is in it all the way down. An alternative would be to have an inventory list nearby saying what is in each bucket. That would mean numbered buckets. Mix beef, pork, and lamb cuts so you don't pick out all the best stuff first.


We do almost exactly that. We use milk crates, though, and have it sorted by category. When we see one of the crates starting to get empty, we know what to buy.


----------



## HDRider (Jul 21, 2011)

GunMonkeyIntl said:


> That is a problem. We have freezer space good for at least 500# of beef, but it’s never empty. We treat our freezer space like a pantry and make sure it stays stocked and rotated. To do sides of beef, one would have to keep a freezer that they plan that into, and probably deal with it running mostly empty for just under half its duty cycle.
> 
> I suppose someone could come up with an efficient way to rotate freezer space on a seasonal basis, but I’ve never thought that through.


We rotate pretty good. Plus we have two large freezers, a chest and an upright. I just gave over 50 pounds of burger to our church yesterday. I will be doing another steer soon. I give a lot away.


----------



## HDRider (Jul 21, 2011)

__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1572151184613593089


----------



## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

I use foldable crates in my freezers. Easy to stack away when empty and they come in a few sizes. They really make a difference for easy location of the right meat or veg.


----------



## doc- (Jun 26, 2015)

We haven't been hit very hard by the food inflation. We raise most of what we eat, and buy in bulk when things are on sale. Bread is still cheaper to buy than bake ourselves, and milk was ridiculously cheap and just now back up to where it should be.

Re: beef prices-- ranchers sold off stock due to rising inputs last year or two, keeping prices low, but now, with a reduced herd, look for prices to skyrocket next year-- compare the prices of the current futures contract with that for next year.
Live Cattle Oct '22 Futures Price - Barchart.com 
Live Cattle Oct '23 Futures Price - Barchart.com


----------



## GunMonkeyIntl (May 13, 2013)

HDRider said:


> We rotate pretty good. Plus we have two large freezers, a chest and an upright. I just gave over 50 pounds of burger to our church yesterday. I will be doing another steer soon. I give a lot away.


I want to buy an upright. The chests alright, but also kind of a PITA. When/if we get an upright, it will probably end up full, too, but may let us start buying beef by the side.

I thought about it some last night, and I already run into issues storing my wine fruit. Sometimes I end up starting a ferment when I really don’t want to just because I have to put the fruit somewhere. If I had a freezer I could pack with fruit all summer/fall, deplete the fruit into the fermenters and pack with meat in the winter, I’d start having space again for more fruit come spring time.

Hmmmm…..


----------



## GunMonkeyIntl (May 13, 2013)

doc- said:


> We haven't been hit very hard by the food inflation. We raise most of what we eat, and buy in bulk when things are on sale. Bread is still cheaper to buy than bake ourselves, and milk was ridiculously cheap and just now back up to where it should be.
> 
> Re: beef prices-- ranchers sold off stock due to rising inputs last year or two, keeping prices low, but now, with a reduced herd, look for prices to skyrocket next year-- compare the prices of the current futures contract with that for next year.
> Live Cattle Oct '22 Futures Price - Barchart.com
> Live Cattle Oct '23 Futures Price - Barchart.com


Am I reading that wrong? I only see an 8% increase. That’s certainly higher, but not exactly what I’d call a skyrocket trajectory- especially when beef prices are pretty low right now.


----------



## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

We have an upright as well. They are not that great. Things fall out easily. A chest freezer and a proper basket system works out better. Baskets just don't fit as well in the upright.


----------



## rbelfield (Mar 30, 2015)

we feed out 6 or 8 beef a year. we have 10 cows and raise the calves and sell them when finished. we have a standing list of people who buy from us and always have people waiting..we sell ours by the hanging weight at the locker. this year its going to be 2.70 a pound hanging. customers order their own cuts and pay their own processing. i think last year it came to about 6.00 pound when it was packaged and home. no one complains and everyone is always excited for january. our biggest problem is getting enough locker dates. the calves we are having right now will be our last set. time to retire..


----------



## Orchardsmith (5 mo ago)

GunMonkeyIntl said:


> I want to buy an upright. The chests alright, but also kind of a PITA. When/if we get an upright, it will probably end up full, too, but may let us start buying beef by the side.
> 
> I thought about it some last night, and I already run into issues storing my wine fruit. Sometimes I end up starting a ferment when I really don’t want to just because I have to put the fruit somewhere. If I had a freezer I could pack with fruit all summer/fall, deplete the fruit into the fermenters and pack with meat in the winter, I’d start having space again for more fruit come spring time.
> 
> Hmmmm…..


Appliance sales guy here (briefly) and life long freezer enthusiast. The problem with upright freezers is that, like refrigerators, they use fans to circulate the cold air. Cold air is drier, which means that frozen stuff stored in an upright will deteriorate faster as the air circulates. If you vacuum seal, it would help. But the other problem with an upright is that when you open the door, the cold air flows out onto the floor. That can't happen with an chest freezer because it's a tank with a lid on it. The main problem with a chest freezer is that it sits on the ground and layers are way down there. The brilliant solutions above (milk crates, folding crates, square buckets, etc.) solve the 'lost on the bottom' problem. 
GREAT THREAD!!


----------



## Digitalis (Aug 20, 2021)

Crates sound like the best idea, but I've been doing OK using paper grocery bags. Just have to keep the ones on the bottom full and they work fine. Can't beat the price.

Bought a whole beef for the first time and am sure glad I did! Prices have exploded and the quality I got is outstanding.


----------



## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

mreynolds said:


> My city boy BIL tried to kill and butcher a wild hog a few years ago in August right here in Texas. Didn't start until 1pm because he refused to get up early. I mean, what could go wrong. Right? He ruined not one but 2 yearling sows I had caught in a trap. I was going to feed out with corn for 3-4 weeks and wait for a cool Sept. morning to process.
> 
> Most people just dont know what they dont know.


Did he learn anything? 
Folks are going to have to learn again. If things keep progressing at this rate us old hands may get to teach them......if they are willing to learn.


----------



## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

Many years ago I learned butchering the hard way. I did it myself and I "butchered" the first couple jobs. But I refused to quit and self taught myself to end up with a useable product. I am not a professional and I cannot give people select cuts. I can however, provide tasty pork and chicken. Giving up would have been wasting those animals' lives early on.


----------



## nodak3 (Feb 5, 2003)

We are blessed that where we live, anything on sale in the store is on sale online also. We just click and pick up. Keeps us out of the store.


----------



## TripleD (Feb 12, 2011)

Deer season is upon us! I do have three heifers on the farm...


----------



## HDRider (Jul 21, 2011)

GunMonkeyIntl said:


> I want to buy an upright. The chests alright, but also kind of a PITA.


I am not sure if you read my Whirlpool story a few months back. Buy Whirlpool. They stood tall.

Being who you are, you need to study up on a cool bot and build a walk in cooler. Then you need both an upright and a chest. They serve two very different purposes.

My real message is buy Whirlpool.


----------



## Digitalis (Aug 20, 2021)

Also, I try to think of my chest freezer as a grocery store: decide what I want for the week, pick it out and put it in the kitchen fridge/freezer. This way I'm not rummaging through it every day or two, messing things up and complaining about how the chest style is less convenient to access. It's way more convenient than driving to the store!


----------



## mzgarden (Mar 16, 2012)

I have a little different approach to storing meats in the meat freezer. I take 5 meal sized portions of different meats wrapped for freezer storage and tie them up in a grocery bag and stack in the freezer - grab bag style. Each week I take out a bag and start the thawing process. What I make is dependent on whatever was in the bag that week. For example - a bag might have a pkg of sausages, pork chops, 2 packages of chicken parts and some ground meat. From there I plan the meals using our pantry, veg freezer and garden. If I buy a big roast I'll cook it and freezer pack it into meal sized portions and start some new bags. Gives me enough meat for the week, gives me enough creativity and makes sure I'm rotating pantry items.


----------



## mreynolds (Jan 1, 2015)

TxMex said:


> Did he learn anything?
> Folks are going to have to learn again. If things keep progressing at this rate us old hands may get to teach them......if they are willing to learn.


I hope so.


----------



## Orchardsmith (5 mo ago)

rbelfield said:


> we feed out 6 or 8 beef a year. we have 10 cows and raise the calves and sell them when finished. we have a standing list of people who buy from us and always have people waiting..we sell ours by the hanging weight at the locker. this year its going to be 2.70 a pound hanging. customers order their own cuts and pay their own processing. i think last year it came to about 6.00 pound when it was packaged and home. no one complains and everyone is always excited for january. our biggest problem is getting enough locker dates. the calves we are having right now will be our last set. time to retire..


May I suggest that with the immediate future looking the way it does, consider putting off retiring the small herd part of your work. If things get worse, the prices will be going up.


----------



## rbelfield (Mar 30, 2015)

Orchardsmith said:


> May I suggest that with the immediate future looking the way it does, consider putting off retiring the small herd part of your work. If things get worse, the prices will be going up.


 health issues of my husband press us to sell the cows. we do have close friends with a larger herd so i dont feel like we will ever be without meat.


----------



## Adirondackian (Sep 26, 2021)

TxMex said:


> Everyone is talking about the really long waits to get an animal processed. Need to go back to butchering in the fall and neighbors or family getting together to process large animals.


Im thinking along the same lines which is why Im selling most of my cows and going bigger with sheep. I cant process a cow by myself and I dont have the hands to call in, nor can I easily hang an animal that big at home. Sheep make more sense for the small farmer for so many reasons.


----------



## homesteadforty (Dec 4, 2007)

I have eight pigs fattening until about Dec. 1, along with a yearling steer. Of course, I'll break down the processing into several days. No freezer (or fridge) so everything is dried, cured or canned. I may take a few deer come hunting season. Chickens are done on an as needed basis... I'll thin out about 50 of them by spring.

Both root cellar and pantry are almost full, as is the potato bin (about 1500 lbs.). By the time I finish canning I'll have near to 5000 jars on the shelf.

Though I still have the fall/winter shopping to do (pallet of dog kibble, some citrus and tropical fruit, salt, pepper, 2x50 lb. bags green coffee beans, tea, various spices, etc.), I think we're set until spring.


----------



## Orchardsmith (5 mo ago)

rbelfield said:


> health issues of my husband press us to sell the cows. we do have close friends with a larger herd so i dont feel like we will ever be without meat.


Completely understand. Our best to you and your family.


----------



## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

Adirondackian said:


> Im thinking along the same lines which is why Im selling most of my cows and going bigger with sheep. I cant process a cow by myself and I dont have the hands to call in, nor can I easily hang an animal that big at home. Sheep make more sense for the small farmer for so many reasons.


This is exactly what I intend to do. I'll probably stick to birds and deer. A deer would be a challenge to cut up by myself now. 
One of my medications attacks my joints and would make that long using my hands very painful. I'd definitely need to do it during cold weather. Quarter it and put in ice chests. Might could do a quarter per day. I do at least have a front end loader to lift it up with. 
Don't know how I'd have done half the things I've done this year without the front end loader.
Plus smaller animals can be kept on the hoof in case of shtf or lack of freezer space.


----------



## Crealcritter (12 mo ago)

My only issue with deer is all the silver skin, it takes a lot of time for me to trim away. Otherwise nothing wrong with deer meat at all.

Jesus is Lord and Christ 🙏❤🇺🇸


----------



## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

homesteadforty said:


> I have eight pigs fattening until about Dec. 1, along with a yearling steer. Of course, I'll break down the processing into several days. No freezer (or fridge) so everything is dried, cured or canned. I may take a few deer come hunting season. Chickens are done on an as needed basis... I'll thin out about 50 of them by spring.
> 
> Both root cellar and pantry are almost full, as is the potato bin (about 1500 lbs.). By the time I finish canning I'll have near to 5000 jars on the shelf.
> 
> Though I still have the fall/winter shopping to do (pallet of dog kibble, some citrus and tropical fruit, salt, pepper, 2x50 lb. bags green coffee beans, tea, various spices, etc.), I think we're set until spring.


I usually start processing around Nov 1, but I have a few off breed sows this year that are getting a bit aggressive with the others. I try to do one per day, or 3-4 per week.


----------



## oldasrocks (Oct 27, 2006)

GTX63 said:


> Many years ago I learned butchering the hard way. I did it myself and I "butchered" the first couple jobs. But I refused to quit and self taught myself to end up with a useable product. I am not a professional and I cannot give people select cuts. I can however, provide tasty pork and chicken. Giving up would have been wasting those animals' lives early on.


Too bad I did not meet you 40 yrs ago. I grew up on a farm where we butchered cattle on Thursday and pigs on Friday for my Grandpas grocery store. Later yrs I cut meat in a grocery store. Then learned how to smoke and make other stuff. As too old to do it I sold all my equipt and walk in cooler. I sorely miss having my own meat.


----------



## Kstar (Jun 14, 2020)

Grocery costs have been rising. It seems to be hitting some areas harder than others. We're further off the main highways. Our food prices are anywhere from 50 cents to $3 more expensive than food in the big city. So, there are times we travel to the big city to get better food prices. I know, I know - gas prices, right? "It's not a deal if you have to spend all that money you save on gas." Yes, and no. I can spend $100 in the grocery store here and only fill in the seat of the grocery cart that kids are supposed to sit in. Literally! I can travel about an hour or so and go to Costco and get near a cart full for $100. So, spending our grocery budget at Costco (which is more than $100 goes A LONG WAY). Grocery shopping at Costco will get us through the month. For food shopping here, we'll run out of food halfway through the month...

There was a video on YouTube that popped up a few months ago with an upset homesteader saying, "You think meat is getting more expensive now?! Just wait until fall slaughter times! Farmer's are going to have to recoup their costs for the insane prices of feed. You just wait for that $30/lb chicken or that $60/lb of beef. It's comin'!"

It's true, though. Feed prices have gone up significantly for many. Some people that order in bulk for feed mills have noticed the trends and have posted their findings around the web. 

Buying from a farmer isn't any cheaper than the grocery store (at least where I'm at) for meat. If anything, they're more - humanely raised and natural meats - much more than he grocery store. The quality is fantastic every time, but it's not going to last a long time or stretch for a lot of meals, either. Ranchers and such are spending more on feed, more on gas to get to farmer's markets to sell their products, etc. of course their costs are going up.


----------



## oldasrocks (Oct 27, 2006)

Animal feed costs are insane and will be getting worse. My poor chickens may have to take a 2nd job to get fed. They won't like the 2nd job working with noodles.


----------



## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

I know several neighbors of mine that have been using good garden surplus for animal feed vs setting it out by the road or donating it this year.


----------



## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

We recycle kitchen scraps through the chickens.

I cut browse for the goats every day. There isn’t enough nearby to take them on browse walks.


----------



## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

We should be seeing a lot more posts about raising your own animal feed. I know that sprouting fodder has been a trend for a while but you have to buy the seed to sprout in most areas. 
Chickens are especially easy to feed. Most of us feed them scraps but even making 'regular' feed is not difficult. Earthworms, black soldier fly larvae, etc is easy to raise. These can meet the protein requirements which is the expensive part of the feed. I have just tossed these to the chickens along with garden scraps and done pretty good. 
I think I'll put in the time to study the actual nutritional requirements for egg and meat production. I suspect there are plants or weeds that can be combined along with home raised grains. Put it all through a meat grinder a couple of times to make crumbles and dry them or feed it fresh from the grinder.


----------



## Mike in Ohio (Oct 29, 2002)

We run a small grass fed Angus freezer beef operation in Central East Ohio. Our pricing this year is $4.45/lb hanging weight (We include the kill fee in our pricing) and the processor charges 75 cents/lb for cut and wrap (vacuum sealed packages). The carcasses are aged 14 days before cut and wrap. We only do heifers so the average hanging weight on one of our quarters is about 150 lbs. At $5.20/lb total for hanging weight, I'd argue that's a good deal for quality beef where the customer can tell the processor how they want it cut and wrapped. We've run into some folks who say it's pricey and we tell those folks they should buy somewhere else (We don't haggle). There are folks who don't have freezer space. They aren't our customer. Our processing dates are always late October into November. Our customers start reaching out before we "open reservations" each year to make sure they get the processing date they prefer. Most of our customers are from the Cleveland/Akron/Canton area but we have a few from Pittsburgh and one even comes out from the Chicago area and time their visits with relatives near us so they can bring a quarter home with them.

I will say that in general, beef prices are going to start going up in the not too distant future. Ranchers out West have been reducing their herds due to drought and wildfires. Short term this keeps prices down but longer term it sets things up for higher prices down the road.

The picture is some of our cattle.


----------



## Linda Mama Homestead (Nov 7, 2020)

MoonRiver said:


> I rarely eat steak, but often check prices just to get an idea of how fast prices are going up. Prices on steak and most items didn't seem to have gone up that much - until this morning. I was looking for a cheap cut of meat I could cook in the pressure cooker, mainly to add flavor to the vegetables. The cheapest cut of meat I found was $8.99/lb. I also saw that the price of bananas has doubled and there still seems to be a shortage of potatoes. Even laundry detergent and bleach have gotten much more expensive.
> 
> I guess it's time to start looking for sales.


I bought a London Broil steak for $3.99 a pound at Safeway this Monday. I got $20 worth and divided and froze the 8 zo packets. But I love medium rare so the cheaper cuts are still tender. But a chuck roast could it really be that much? Sale price and putting it up in jars or freeze always worked for me too.


----------



## ryanthomas (Dec 10, 2009)

Mike in Ohio said:


> We've run into some folks who say it's pricey and we tell those folks they should buy somewhere else (We don't haggle).


Same here. One guy kept calling asking if there was anything I could do about the price so I finally said, "Tell you what, call my buddy Wally and maybe he can help you out," and I gave him the phone number for the local Walmart. He never called me again. I try not to be a jerk, but some people need that to get the message. I'm barely breaking even as it is if I pay myself for my time. I raise cattle because I enjoy it and to provide for my family, but I'm not taking a loss to feed strangers.


----------



## Crealcritter (12 mo ago)

I don't do the grocery shopping, my wife does. But I was at RK yesterday 😳









Jesus is Lord and Christ 🙏❤🇺🇸


----------



## Hiro (Feb 14, 2016)

Usually by this time of year, the farm boss has heard me say "How much are canned green beans at the store?" because I am sick of snapping them and watching the canner. She hasn't heard a peep of complaint from the grumpy, old man.


----------

