# Drought: What do I buy NOW?



## Laura Zone 5 (Jan 13, 2010)

CLEARLY food prices will skyrocket in the fall.......

What should I be stocking up on NOW to beat the drastic price increase??


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## olivehill (Aug 17, 2009)

Everything. 

Make meat, any dairy you can store, and corn-heavy items a priority.


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## AverageJo (Sep 24, 2010)

I don't think meat will skyrocket. There are a LOT of farmers that will be selling off their herds or greatly reducing them because grain prices and hay will be too high to justify the costs. There aught to be a glut of meat soon. Of course THAT is the time to buy because next year when grains are cheaper hopefully, there will be fewer sales as herds are growing again.

That said, milk and dairy will go up as the dairies reduce their cow numbers and reduce production. Corn products will also be going up, so stock up on them. If you like products with high fructose corn syrup, stock up on them as well as they will rise in price.


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## thequeensblessing (Mar 30, 2003)

Don't forget product containing soy either. Around here, soybean farmers were hit hard by the drought. A LOT of products contain either corn, or soy, or both and those prices will all go up. 

Be sure and stock up on feed for the critters too!


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## olivehill (Aug 17, 2009)

AverageJo said:


> I don't think meat will skyrocket. There are a LOT of farmers that will be selling off their herds or greatly reducing them because grain prices and hay will be too high to justify the costs. There aught to be a glut of meat soon. Of course THAT is the time to buy because next year when grains are cheaper hopefully, there will be fewer sales as herds are growing again.


This, as well as an overall reluctance to buy is happening right NOW. The next move for meat is up and it'll be in the next 6-8 months.


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## hsmom2four (Oct 13, 2008)

I'm going to stock up on meat.


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## Bluesgal (Jun 17, 2011)

Laura - I'm also stocking up on cotton products... extra jeans, socks, undergarments etc... when they go on sale I buy an extra pack. Drought affects cotton as well.

In general, high grain and corn costs will lead to increases in everything. However, I agree with most that meat products will likely rise. The news this morning was claiming the drought would lead to *10% increases* in food costs. I think they're being optimistic.


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## bruce2288 (Jul 10, 2009)

I think beef and pork will go down in the near term and higher next year. All grain products are liable to increase in cost. Dairy will go up. Potatoes, beans onions??


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Stock up on your local bulldozer man's working hours and have him build you a water reservoir.


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

one thing to think about meat....our cattle are already at the lowest since ww2 and we have 3x the population now as then.how could it go down...unless no one has money to buy with and it forces the lower prices.local super market guy here already stopped stocking high end meats as they were not selling.


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

Forerunner said:


> Stock up on your local bulldozer man's working hours and have him build you a water resevoir.



i wished you lived over the hill from me.....you got something that would disapear ever so often for a day or two at a time....and be returned...washed...greased..and filled with disel.....lol


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

elkhound said:


> one thing to think about meat....our cattle are already at the lowest since ww2 and we have 3x the population now as then.how could it go down...unless no one has money to buy with and it forces the lower prices.local super market guy here already stopped stocking high end meats as they were not selling.


Where's McClintock when we need 'im ?



elkhound said:


> i wished you lived over the hill from me.....you got something that would disapear ever so often for a day or two at a time....and be returned...washed...greased..and filled with disel.....lol


Don't forget to oil the tracks. They really don't appreciate dry, powdery dirt. I miss the days I actually had to clean the mud out with a spade. :sob:


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## Wendy (May 10, 2002)

Dairy will rise also because the heat & drought affect production. My goats are giving half what they were a couple of months ago. My son milks at a dairy & he said they are down about 2500 pounds a day. 

Beef prices are dropping now, but they will shoot up late fall or next spring because no one will have feeders for market. My brother is hanging on to his. Luckily he got a great first cutting of hay to hold his over.


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## stamphappy (Jul 29, 2010)

Laura, I've been wondering that myself. All the articles say 'many items are made with corn' but they don't go on to give examples. I assume most of it is processed. 

So...I'm going out to my pantry and looking at ingredient labels. What has corn syrup? What has soy? I'm thinking if you're a scratch cooker, then not too many of your foodstuffs have those listed as ingredients although I may be totally wrong on that assumption. 

I'm also going to look at food prices. What are the most expensive items _now_ that contain the corn/soy? I'll try to stock up on those. I can't stock up on everything, so I'll go for the things that are the most expensive now because later they will be even more expensive. 

For example, I have ramen and corn oil in my pantry. Both contain corn (which I didn't know until just now). I'll stock up on the oil and not worry about the ramen so much. 

Anyway, just my 2 cents.


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## Laura Zone 5 (Jan 13, 2010)

Dairy: Butter, brick cheese.......what else can I stock/freeze?

Beef / Pork / Chicken: I will be doubling all meat purchases. Do you think buying 1/2 a cow NOW would be a better idea?

What about wheatberries. oats, rice in bulk? Should I buy in bulk now?

I heard 30% increase in Oct in grocery costs.....that's why I posted today!! :clap:

Please keep the ideas coming!!


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

Laura Zone 5 said:


> Dairy: Butter, brick cheese.......what else can I stock/freeze?
> 
> Beef / Pork / Chicken: I will be doubling all meat purchases. Do you think buying 1/2 a cow NOW would be a better idea?
> 
> ...


do it all.......especially if you have the money and can do it easily.

i look at the deer here differently....extra lean burger is $4/# and higher.them deer result in the same lean ground product.on average i say 50# per deer of pure meat.that = $200 per deer....plus its better and they been getting in one of the gardens without electric and have hammered my romas and sunchokes.they need to go in my freezer and will soon.oct 1st come on baby.


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## Horsefly (Sep 17, 2009)

We just got 1/2 pig in the freezer two weeks ago & 1/2 a cow coming in August. We also hunt birds & deer. So meat isn't a problem, it is everything else I have to think about. Been raining here all day today! Thank the lord, both gardens look really good. Fruit trees, unfortunately took a beating this year from the late frost. I've also been shopping more at Aldi's now that we only have one income. I like a challenge & now it is time to really get those creative juices flowing.
Oh, and BTW, get to know your neighbors. We are very fortunate our 2 neighbors are wonderful people & willing to help out whenever we need.  Dave just dropped off kholrabi from his garden. So I wll be canning that today & I need to go over to his house to get dill, so I can pickles soon. 
Horsefly


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## Bettacreek (May 19, 2012)

Now is when you want to be buying your unwanted livestock and butchering them out. I've gotten 21 layer hens and three roos for free. Some were 4mo and some were 1 year old. All for free, and she delivered them to me. I imagine that the livestock auctions are going to be bottoming out in prices, so go there to get your meat, put some effort into it and butcher yourself.


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## cybergranny (Jun 23, 2012)

I think everything will go up. Some things more than others. Meat and anything connected to it; prepackaged items; prepared items fresh, frozen, canned. Other things will go up as the demand will increase due to lack in the other. Fox news indicated the first of the year. But I'd be looking for a glut of meat on the market sooner than that and then very high prices after that. Animal feed will probably skyrocket with the availability of hay and corn gone. I'm canning meat and beans currently, dehydrating kale and herbs; and will can more when Michigan harvest starts coming in more. My freezers are at about maximum now and I wanted to get a pig. It's a thinking through process to buy extra what you use/need. My brain is getting tired considering things. We cook mainly from scratch but prices of everything is getting higher as the weather has affected the yield of crops considerably here. Not much help am I.


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## soulsurvivor (Jul 4, 2004)

Everyone has a different grocery wish list. If there's something on that list that you can't imagine living without, that would be the item I'd buy in quantity now. No questions here, it's beef.


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## Guest (Jul 19, 2012)

Yes everything will go up. And there will be shortages of all items because other items will be trying to stretch to make up for the corn shortage..
Buy on sale items that you use alot of. And items that can meet simalar requirements as those that are going up.
We just did a bulk item purchase, because of this.


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## Laura Zone 5 (Jan 13, 2010)

I think I am going to make a big bulk purchase too.....

If this summer was THIS bad........what will the winter look like? I need to prep for the biggest ice storm blizzard ever.....

Oy vey, pass the Johnny Walker Black!


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

thequeensblessing said:


> Don't forget product containing soy either.


Can you list some soy products? I don't think we can store up tofu. What type of soy products are there to store? Soy sauce, of course, but a few bottles of that goes a long way.


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## Bettacreek (May 19, 2012)

Some people say that meats will be falling for the fall, but I'm not quite so sure. I know that with this heat, locally, everyone raising cornish x is having a very hard time getting their birds up to weight. I have the feeling that meats are going to be high as heck as well as the feed. Local meats that aren't exactly raised for meat are going to be slightly less... Might be able to get holstein bulls or bull calves for dirt cheap, but I think the beef and such are going to either be slaughtered at the regular time and possibly be slightly underweight or they'll be held over a little longer and are going to cost more anyways.


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## ET1 SS (Oct 22, 2005)

> Drought: What do I buy NOW?


A homestead in a region that is not drought-prone?


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## Wolf mom (Mar 8, 2005)

Remember all that corn that's dried up so prices are rising?

gasoline has ethanol in it - mandated by the federal government - so look for gas prices to rise again. If you can't buy items that have corn products in them 'cause of the high price - Now You Really Know Why.

Isn't that just great? 
The two things that are not on the Cost of Living Index - food & gasoline.

:hair:


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

Grain for your animals. Grass seeds to replant pastures.

Grocery prices are already starting to rise. Our apple crop is gone, cherries didn't happen. We do have some peaches coming in as well as blueberries. Tomatoes and squash are done for here. Even with the rain last night- it's too late.


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## GoldenCityMuse (Apr 15, 2009)

Buy canning jars.

Put your bulk foods in them and vac seal.

During winter, pressure can the beans, lentils, & peas in aforementioned canning jars, and any meat you have purchased from the clearance bin and then frozen.


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## Welshmom (Sep 7, 2008)

Popcorn.
Breakfast cereal.
I was just reading an article about all the things that are made with corn, and it is crazy - even batteries!

Thankfully we got an inch and a half over a large area yesterday - it may have been enough to salvage a lot of the corn and beans and hayfields around these parts, so maybe some of the edge has been taken off... for the moment anyway.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

Does anyone just buy up bags of feed corn, so that in the event of much higher prices you can grind them? I have one bag in the storage shed, but I didn't know if that was even a reasonable idea.


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## Narshalla (Sep 11, 2008)

mekasmom said:


> Can you list some soy products? I don't think we can store up tofu. What type of soy products are there to store? Soy sauce, of course, but a few bottles of that goes a long way.


If soy is a regular part of your animals' diets (because you feed it to them, of course,) then buy more or start finding other sources _now._

Some people with gluten intolerance can use soy instead.


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## Trixters_muse (Jan 29, 2008)

For those of us who do a lot of Holiday Baking, this might be a good time to stock up on baking needs even if you have some in store.

For myself, I have already bought 4 more bottles of corn syrup, dark and light. That gives me 8 now which is more than I need but glad I have it. I also use corn starch so I bought another box of that and extra cooking oil, semi sweet chocolate, peanut butter , powdered sugar, brown sugar and butter. I lucked up on a recent sale and bought a boatload of decorating sugars, sprinkles, extracts and other decorating needs while they were 60% off.


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## dragonfly (Jan 5, 2010)

IMHO: I am going to "invest" in a LOT of seeds! 
I think this could be worse than we realize, and the prices are already starting to rise here in Phoenix!
I dehydrate a LOT of stuff, and glad I do!
Bill


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

Whatever you buy today is going to be less expensive than what you buy next month or next year. So I'd say buy whatever it is you eat in as large a quantity as you can afford and store properly. It might even pay to buy an extra freezer depending on the size of your family. 

Don't forget to stock up on canning lids and jars. In hard times more people will decide to garden and can. In early 1970's it was virtually impossible to find canning lids one summer. In fact, you couldn't find jars and Sears had a waiting list for deep freezers.

I personally think its important to be ahead of the curve on storing foods. Storing in times of plenty is wise, but taking more than you need in times of shortages is hoarding. I always date items purchased with the purchase date so there is no question as to when they were purchased. This is so I will use the oldest items first but also to prove I wasn't hoarding. Of course, .gov will define hoarding to suit their convenience.


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## Horsefly (Sep 17, 2009)

*Ann-NWIowa*, thanks for the reminder on canning lids. I have plent of jars but I need a lot more lids.


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## tab (Aug 20, 2002)

Don't forget the Tattler lids. 

The pond is an idea I suggested years ago to dh, seems like it may finally be getting some serious considereration.

Canning jars seem like a good idea. Goods do last more than a season and who knows what next year will bring.


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## julieq (Oct 12, 2008)

Over the past few years locally we've experienced a glut of dairy cattle being turned into hamburger due to low milk prices. But meat prices NEVER went down, in fact they've just continued to skyrocket. I haven't seen a real good deal on any cut of meat around here in ages.

We're buying chicken feed and goat grain ahead. I think we'll be canning up some laying hens this fall in order to cut down on the flock over the winter. We can always raise up new chicks in the spring. 

Our neighbor tells us we get deer and elk through the back of our property in the fall, so DH is going to get his tags for our locale and pray to God to have one line up in his sights! 

As far as everything else going up in price, my suggestion is if you have the money then buy in bulk right now, but just the items that you normally use. If food prices go up, great because you've saved a fortune. If not, then you've saved on fuel for future grocery store runs. Our cupboards and pantry are stocked, so now we're just working on livestock, poultry and pet food.


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## Laura Zone 5 (Jan 13, 2010)

Kroger has all canning supplies 33% off this week......stocked up on lids. Thanks for the tip!


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## brosil (Dec 15, 2003)

Anybody thinking beans? They're not going to do better than the corn and soy.


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## ET1 SS (Oct 22, 2005)

brosil said:


> Anybody thinking beans? They're not going to do better than the corn and soy.


Inherent problem with all crops in a drought-prone area.


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## julieq (Oct 12, 2008)

brosil said:


> Anybody thinking beans? They're not going to do better than the corn and soy.


I personally think once food prices start going up, it's going to be across the board. There's a lot of other stuff going on in addition to the drought. Inflation won't spare any food items unfortunately.


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## ladybug (Aug 18, 2002)

It is likely that anything corn related is going to go up, as well as any other crops adversely affected by this drought. We personally are investing in any seeds we will need as possible substitutes, we are still in a severe drought but we collect rain water for the plants and are trying to figure out the best way to setup a grey water system for at least part of the garden. I'm also working on stocking my freezer with meat, and stocking the pantry with canned corn, which we use a lot of. I let this drought sneak up on me, normally I bulk buy the canned goods when they go on sale, but we only bought half of what we normally do our last trip to the store.


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

I agree with across the board increases. The drought is affecting corn, soy, fruit, veggies and lack of feed grains and hay will seriously affect meat, milk and egg production. Then there's the issue of ethonol. When gas prices go up everything goes up so its a double whammy.

I've added margarine to my prep list. Dh uses a ton of it and it freezes fine. I found a bowl of light margarine in the bottom of my freezer that was at least 5 years old and once thawed it was just the same as fresh from the store. I'm also looking at buying as much meat as possible in the next couple of months. Chicken breast is $1 a pound at HyVee and pork roasts $1.69 # at Fareway until Tuesday. I hope I get the chance to shop. Dh had surgery last Wed., then we had an ER trip on Friday so unless I feel I can leave him alone long enough to shop after work on Monday or Tuesday, I'll miss these sales...and I'm hoping I can even go to work!!


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## Oma2three (May 5, 2012)

Ann-NWIOWA,PRaying for your husbands recovery, and that you will be able to go to work tomorrow.


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