# Food prices continue to skyrocket in America



## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

*Food prices continue to skyrocket in America; get ready to grow your own at FoodRising.org*


Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/048460_food_prices_inflation_self-reliance.html#ixzz3QWNJ2QpZ

are you going to grow more this year...i am thinking of a poultry house for a few broilers and to keep quail long term.

also going to do a few more rows of taters.
​


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

Elkhound, feed is going up also. Will you be raising some of your own? When I buy all my feed I can buy meat and eggs cheaper than I can raise it. 

I have been able to raise a bit of alfalfa for protien, and I intend to try again raising indian corn for feed. That and the scrapings from our plates and some bought feed should keep my 4 laying hens full. 

4 laying hens = 2 dozen eggs per week.


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## moonwolf (Sep 20, 2004)

Elkhound, you're right....high food prices are
Definitely affecting the amount left over to spend for
a healthy diet. It's good to keep your own birds for meat and
eggs, even though feeding costs for that is also high...still cost
effective if you can sell a few eggs and chicks to pay the feed
Store.
Quail aren't a bad idea. I am raising chukar partridge and pheasants,
probably will add quail this year to the mix. A guy works at the
feed store raises several kinds of quail that I will try getting.
I love the chukars....easy going and the pheasants more challenging
but tasty. Hatching their eggs is the best way for me, having pretty
good success so far.

Now that I also stashing a pile of big thick cardboard sheets
for suppressing weeds, I'm going to put down for some fast made
Garden spaces and plant stuff to supplement the high food costs.
It's all good....that's what country steading is all about!


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## Wendy (May 10, 2002)

I plan on raising more broilers this year as I have no problem selling them. I plan on planting more fruit trees for our use & to sell the surplus. No matter how hard I try, I just can't seem to get out of the store for less than $100 a week. It's usually closer to $150. Of course a lot of that is toiletries & dog food. I spend about $30 per week on milk. Goats are due to kid any day so hopefully that will help.


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## Roadking (Oct 8, 2009)

Bigger chicken coop and run, some seeds already started, making deals with local hunters ...the usual stuff.
Just need to find a way to get a cow.

Matt


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

Terri said:


> Elkhound, feed is going up also. Will you be raising some of your own? When I buy all my feed I can buy meat and eggs cheaper than I can raise it.
> 
> I have been able to raise a bit of alfalfa for protien, and I intend to try again raising indian corn for feed. That and the scrapings from our plates and some bought feed should keep my 4 laying hens full.
> 
> 4 laying hens = 2 dozen eggs per week.


terri...you might find this interesting....i use to pay $8/100 for shelled corn in 2007.....then this ethanol stuff raised the prices along with many other factors that we wont go into here...i seen corn at $22 to 25/100 not long ago.....i get it now at co-op $11/100.i may get a bit and put in storage but i was hoping it would drop more....its $200 by ton.


i know this goes against regular thought but the best my chickens have ever done is when i was feeding turnips..tops and tubers to them...along with a dab of corn.i will grow milo again this year plus a few other items that are very non traditional to see how they do....quineo and amanranth to name a few i hope.....my plate is super full currently as i have decided to step my plans up and go forward with homestead and life plans as i see nothing changing in this current political/corp economy manipulation.

i have a grist mill so i can grind stuff and it does wet stuff and oily stuff too.i have alot of stuff put back and saved that is coming out of the boxes,shed etc to start being used for a much more radical simple life.

sorry to ramble on so...


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Elk, PLEASE ramble as much as you like. I get good ideas from those rambles of yours.


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

moonwolf chukars might be a way to go for me.it all depends on how things fall around me and get hashed out and the availability .i think a flock of feral doves or pigeons would be awesome if the hawks would go easy on them.i dont mind sharing some but not all with them...lol


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## moonwolf (Sep 20, 2004)

Elk
Definitely, you have to keep partridge penned up, not 
only from raptors, but they fly and don't retutn like pigeons.
When I was a kid, my first serious small stock raising adventure
was raising white king and red carneau pigeons which was very
Rewarding.... Even then in town....neighbours allowed them 
hanging around their garage roofs and what not. These days 
not likely one could get away with that....rambling. lol...
But, no Hawks ever were a problem in town. I also raised
Bobwhite quail for a while with a buddy, but they seemed to be
more wild natured. I am going to look more into coturnix quail
for indoor space keeping. I have grown more and more fond of
Bird raising, thus wouldn't mind them around nearby....kinda like
Pets that pay their keep by providing more than company....Eggs, etc.


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

i had bobwhite quail and golden peasants in grade school....but that was a long time ago....lol

i got alot going on currently so not sure of details and time frame about all this...but i am moving forward at elk pace...lol...slowly .


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

Always expanding. More chickens this year, now have meat rabbits, hoping to have a few goats by end of summer. Will have turkeys and pigs again. Of course the garden is getting bigger again and more fruit trees again.


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

moonwolf heres another thought...since we are single and other single folks...i have really cut back on how much i cook at once so i am not tempted to over eat plus having to store it in refrigeration. i wonder if having quail eggs to put into recipes or maybe bantam eggs instead of regular egg would be a better fix on cooking certain items...like small pans of cornbread vs. i a big one...if its sitting on counter i wanna grab it like cake...lol...my brain might have been corrupted by mainstream thinking now...i am micro managing homestead cookery....roflmao.

i am using all of my smallest cookwares alot more too.you should see the tiny little deey fryer i got now.


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

i have 70 fruit and nut trees coming soon....i already feel the spring time rush.not to mention tons of strawberries to transplant.


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## moonwolf (Sep 20, 2004)

About egg usage....how about pickled quail eggs, use up
batches making freeze dried scrambled eggs like Moutain
House brand sold in camping section of stores... 
You might be surprised how long you can store eggs without
refrigeration....think Root Cellar .....coat eggs in veg oil
I've used chicken, duck, and goose eggs several months after
gathering without any extra energy cost.

Elkie, think big about dehydrating foods....shrooms, etc.
It's great long term survival food, or just good eating....
And, and don't forget great tasting Jerky!


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## sisterpine (May 9, 2004)

I no longer know what to think of articles like this. Even when I see it in the main street press I don't really believe it to be the whole truth. In fact I do not think anyone tells us the whole truth any more. The stats are always skewed to one side or the other to demonstrate the point in question.

On the other hand I am planting the first part of my orchard this spring (which is very soon here in AZ) and hope to have a nice garden. There will not be any eating out to speak of this spring either....the food sucks and costs too much. sis


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## Allen W (Aug 2, 2008)

elkhound said:


> i know this goes against regular thought but the best my chickens have ever done is when i was feeding turnips..tops and tubers to them...along with a dab of corn.i will grow milo again this year plus a few other items that are very non traditional to see how they do....quineo and amanranth to name a few i hope.....my plate is super full currently as i have decided to step my plans up and go forward with homestead and life plans as i see nothing changing in this current political/corp economy manipulation.
> 
> i have a grist mill so i can grind stuff and it does wet stuff and oily stuff too.i have alot of stuff put back and saved that is coming out of the boxes,shed etc to start being used for a much more radical simple life.
> 
> sorry to ramble on so...


A light hand when planting that milo, I aim for 2 lbs of seed to the acre a bit less is OK too when drilling. It will stool out for the available moisture and make bigger heads with stronger stalks. The bigger stalks don't plug the straw walkers on the combine as bad, I imaging your heading by hand though.


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## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

Just a bit of perspective. Beef prices have not gone up in Mexico. If anything most of the menu items are beef and it is difficult to find chicken! Other food costs are very similar to what they were when I was here 2 years ago.

So it is only in the US that food prices are inflating rapidly.


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## calliemoonbeam (Aug 7, 2007)

That's it, I'm moving to Mexico, lol! Can you put me up til I find a place TM??  Just kidding, but it sounds like heaven down there. I haven't been posting much (been laid up), but I've been reading about your vacation, sounds like you're having a great time, good for you!

I'm amazed the MSM actually admitted that food prices are going up so much, usually all you hear is about how folks are exaggerating it or it's not that bad or going by the "official" inflation index, which doesn't even COUNT food!  But yeah, it's getting tough and sounds like it's going to get even worse. 

I've always been a big meat eater, but over the last year or so have been trying to cut it way down and fill up on other things, but now my doctor wants me to go back on a high protein, almost no carb diet for some health issues. Normally for me that means more meat and lots and lots of veggies, which I don't mind because I LOVE veggies.  But meat has just gotten so ridiculous that I can't afford to do it like I used to on that diet, and fish has been way expensive for years. I get tired of chicken all the time, but try not to eat much pork either, lol, so it's a conundrum. I already eat beans, eggs, cheese, and peanut butter on a regular basis. 

I guess I need to buckle down and get my rabbit setup going. I'm also trying to figure out what things I can grow that have a lot of protein. Anyone have any suggestions? I'm going to start eating more quinoa for one thing, but don't think it's something that I can grow and harvest myself without it costing more than just buying it.

Sorry this is so long, lol!


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## michael ark (Dec 11, 2013)

Want to do a larger garden/orchard and some more chickens. Can't wait till spring to see some green again.The days are getting longer at least.


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## cntrywmnkw (Jun 5, 2013)

I'm adding more chickens & adding more to my garden. I'd LOVE to do a lot more, but, since it's basically just me, I have to do what I can handle.


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

A large part of food cost increases is due to buying pre-prepared foods. If you stick to the basics and cook from scratch, you can keep food costs under control. This week's grocery ad has sugar on "sale" for $1.68. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas sugar was 98Â¢ or 99Â¢. I bought enough on sale to last till next November. Ditto flour, brown sugar, powered sugar and butter. If you are careful to stock up on specials, you can keep your costs under control. I no longer buy Bisquick, pancake mixes, cake mixes, boxes or cans of "helper" products, paper products, laundry detergent, fabric softener, out of season produce...you get the idea. 

Looking thru this weeks ads most of the items on sale are products we don't buy. If I have milk, eggs, shortening, flour, yeast, baking powder, salt and soda, I can put together bread, muffins, biscuits, pancakes, cookies, cakes. Now if a cake mix is on sale for 69Â¢, it might be less expensive than from scratch, but when was the last time you saw a cake mix for less than 99Â¢?


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## calliemoonbeam (Aug 7, 2007)

I do all that too Ann. I rarely ever buy any processed foods, cook from scratch, make all my own mixes, can, dehydrate, do all my own baking, etc. I've done that since I first moved away from home at 17, many moons ago, lol. It really does make a huge difference.

I also rarely ever pay full price for anything. I shop sales and loss leaders and buy in bulk whenever possible. I'd love to find somewhere to buy a side of beef, pork, lamb, etc., but haven't found a good place around here.

I do without most paper and plastic products and use only reusable things instead like Pyrex type refrigerator dishes with lids, cloth napkins, fabric "paper towels" that snap together to fit on a traditional holder, washable bowl covers, reusable sandwich and treat bags, etc. The only thing in that area I haven't figured out how to replace are my Food Saver bags, but I'm using less of them since I've been eating less meat. Some meats and most vegetables and fruits are canned or dried and stored in jars. I also make my own laundry supplies, cleaners and beauty products. All that saves a huge chunk of money and is much better for me and the environment.

I have a garden which I enlarge every year, am starting a fruit and nut orchard this spring and started raising my own chickens for meat and eggs this past fall. I have plans for rabbits and goats too, just need to get that implemented. It seems like something always comes up, but I'm really going to try to get both of those going this year. 

Yet I'm still shocked every time I check out at the store. I'm single and it's bad enough, I honestly don't know how big families are making it these days! But doing even some of the things we talked about could help make a difference if people are willing to take the time and effort, but it is a commitment instead of just running to the store to pick up stuff.


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## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

I raised a bunch of chickens 2 years ago. I kept track of every penny and they cost $1.75 a pound, dressed weight. Feed has doubled in cost since then and the price of day out chicks has gone up.

Raising chicken at home is not a money saver. It does, however give you a much superior product for your dinner table. We'll be raising chickens again this year because we can't bear the thought of eating yucky store bought chicken after 2 years of eating the good stuff.

I can buy an entire butchered frozen turkey at the market during the Thanksgiving turkey wars for what I have to pay for one day old turkey poult, that might live or it might not; they are very fragile. Again, we will be raising a few more of those because the meat isn't even the same thing as the store bought.


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## terri9630 (Mar 12, 2012)

oregon woodsmok said:


> I raised a bunch of chickens 2 years ago. I kept track of every penny and they cost $1.75 a pound, dressed weight. Feed has doubled in cost since then and the price of day out chicks has gone up.
> 
> Raising chicken at home is not a money saver. It does, however give you a much superior product for your dinner table. We'll be raising chickens again this year because we can't bear the thought of eating yucky store bought chicken after 2 years of eating the good stuff.
> 
> I can buy an entire butchered frozen turkey at the market during the Thanksgiving turkey wars for what I have to pay for one day old turkey poult, that might live or it might not; they are very fragile. Again, we will be raising a few more of those because the meat isn't even the same thing as the store bought.



We raise broilers every year for the fair. We usually get an average of 8lbs dressed and that works out to roughly $6 per bird. I don't count equipment into the price, just the cost of the Chick and feed. The equipment has been used for years so I figured it's paid for its self already.


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## Jennifer L. (May 10, 2002)

I had some meat from Aldis several years ago that I didn't think was very good and never bought any from there again. But the other week I was in there and saw whole fryer chickens for 95 cents a pound and they were good chickens. So it's a place to check if there's one near you. I couldn't raise a chicken for that price. I still wouldn't trust their ground meat, though.

I raise my own beef and eat a lot of store bought frozen vegetables because I haven't been able to garden much the last few years. If you aren't buying from the center aisles of a supermarket, I don't think you do too badly, because the "value added" processed food is all there. Too many people eat from the center of the stores, that's why things go up in these articles. But add to that, so many people throw away good food that is "over its sell by date" when actually it's still good. Or if your fresh spinach is getting old in the bag, throw it in the soup instead of eating it as salad. Oh, wait, they don't make their own soup . . . 

People aren't educated anymore about food. It's too bad.


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## calliemoonbeam (Aug 7, 2007)

Elizabeth, I bought some ground beef from Aldi's a few months ago, and I was very pleased with it. It was good quality meat and was at least $1 a pound cheaper than I could get it anywhere else. I haven't seen chickens in ours yet.

I got my own chickens mostly because of the quality of the meat and eggs and for reliability in case of a SHTF situation, not necessarily for saving money, but I think I'll be saving too or at least not losing any. I'm trying to grow my own feed except maybe an occasional boost with a high-protein feed supplement to up egg production if needed. 

I also plan to raise my own chickens for meat and replacement layers instead of having to rely on outside sources. I plan to do the same with the rabbits and goats. I'm mostly concerned with the quality and the reliability of replacing my own. I know I'll get much better food that way and if I break even or save a few bucks all the better, but if I pay a little more it's definitely worth it to me and I'll continue to save in other areas.


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## farmgal (Nov 12, 2005)

I grow a lot of my own food. It's easy to grow corn for broiler birds. I don't get them till late in the season anyway. I also grow spaghetti squash and other easy veggies for the birds. They really love grass and gain more weight then you would think on good grazing. 

I'm thinking long term produce. Lots of fruit trees. It's so much easier for me to mow around my produce then hand weed. I'm hoping to someday trade fruit for some veggies that are time consuming like pickling cucumbers. I spend a lot of energy for usually small amount. Which then I grow way more plants to get what I need. 

Tomatoes grow easy here as well as hot peppers, beets, cauliflower. But not green peppers or broccoli. I can trade fruit for those with less effort. Then when trees are large enough I can pasture it in and animals can weed it. Or if fuel is out of control or not accessible. 

3.69$ a # for fruit is crazy. I'm sure the picker and grower isn't seeing most of that. it's the store getting the majority. That's not fair either.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

*farmgal*, have you tried growing your pickling cukes on tomato cages? Keeps them in a contained area, keeps the cucumbers off the ground so they are clean when you pick them, too.


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## Guest (Feb 11, 2015)

farmgal said:


> I grow a lot of my own food. It's easy to grow corn for broiler birds. I don't get them till late in the season anyway. I also grow spaghetti squash and other easy veggies for the birds. They really love grass and gain more weight then you would think on good grazing.
> 
> I'm thinking long term produce. Lots of fruit trees. It's so much easier for me to mow around my produce then hand weed. I'm hoping to someday trade fruit for some veggies that are time consuming like pickling cucumbers. I spend a lot of energy for usually small amount. Which then I grow way more plants to get what I need.
> 
> ...


I also live in NY about a hour from Albany. I have the worst luck growing in the ground - tomatoes (blight for the past several years and that also includes rotating each year), green bell peppers(blight),beets,corn,onions and the list goes on..my soil sucks in my raised beds! I need to haul out the old soil with fresh good soil..wanted to do the Back To Eden Garden..but that never happened.

I tried the grow bags for my Tomato plants..they looked EXCELLENT until the darn late blight got them all. I'm pretty sure it was a plant that I bought from Lowes that was contaminated..This year I'm going to try the grow bags again and remove all the bottom leaves from the Tomato plants (I knew to do that but the plants looked so healthy..STUPID on my part I know!) and spray them BEFORE I see any blight like the guy told me to do at the Nursery..

I have had excellent results with growing mass amounts of peppers (enough for me until the next growing season) in my Earthboxes and broccoli thrives in the Earthboxes also but only 6 heads in each box...they are costly but I find them to well worth the investment as they last forever.

I have 19-fruit trees at all ages up to 6yrs old..nothing much has really produced except the peach & mulberry..after going to the Farmers market this past fall and them wanting $1.00 a lb for apples (my tree produced 1-lonely apple and my family loves applesauce) and grocery stores @$1.49 lb on sale (1-apple can weigh a pound) I decided I want to plant even more Apple tree's this year..

I'm hoping to (like I do every year- lol) have a good harvest to put on my shelves come this winter..I don't count on it though so thats why I have well stocked pantry,a mini store in the basement and canned meat that I pressure canned myself.

Thanks for the idea of growing veggies for my chickens..my cousin offered his field that joins up to my property that I can plant all the viney veggies that I don't have room to grow on my own property.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

My kids just got sides of beef from their dad, $600 per side, dressed out to about 300#, so about $2/lb. Since he's a butcher, he did the cut and wrap for them, gratis. I told my dd that I'd love to buy a side if he was looking to butcher another steer, and she told me to text him and he'd probably be interested. I get along pretty well with my ex, so this may be an option. I already have a whole hog in the freezer, so adding a side of beef would really stock me up. Fingers crossed that this will work out.


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## ldc (Oct 11, 2006)

mythreesons, my folks were in Delaware Cty - maybe near you?, and it is excellent apple country! you will (eventually!) have lots!


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Well, bummer - texted with my ex and he doesn't have another beef ready to butcher yet. He is going to let me know when he does, so in the future, it looks like I'll be getting a half a beef put in my freezer, just not right away.


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## Guest (Feb 14, 2015)

ldc said:


> mythreesons, my folks were in Delaware Cty - maybe near you?, and it is excellent apple country! you will (eventually!) have lots!


Have no idea where Delaware Cty is but my dh said it's a 1-1/2hrs away from us..

I'm patiently waiting for my going into it's 4th year Apple tree (would of had 2 this age but my son wiped it out last winter with our go-cart :facepalm to produce me lots of apples. I have 3-other Apple tree's that are only a year old..I can't wait!


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## farmgal (Nov 12, 2005)

I'm in a valley that gets pretty cool night temps. Few things hate it here, every year. Those include broccoli and green peppers. I don't bother with those. I found a sweet banana to take my green pepper place. Every year is different. The weather n bugs determine my results but usually I get a wonderful crop. Takes a few years of amending the soil to get a nice reward. Focus on your soil. Leaves compost etc. 

Pickling cucumbers just seem to produce so little for the work, it's easier to buy those. 

Don't underestimate good seed quality. There's some bad seeds going around with blights and wilt disease.


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

My three sons...have you noticed a lot of pollinators in your orchard? Many areas have lost so many bees and that means few/no apples even if they are blooming well. We lost our 11 colonies to a bears two years ago and last year we had very little fruit even with a good spring and no late frosts. Two new hives will ensure a better crop this year as all our apples were bearing well before.


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## Guest (Feb 18, 2015)

Mutti said:


> My three sons...have you noticed a lot of pollinators in your orchard? Many areas have lost so many bees and that means few/no apples even if they are blooming well. We lost our 11 colonies to a bears two years ago and last year we had very little fruit even with a good spring and no late frosts. Two new hives will ensure a better crop this year as all our apples were bearing well before.


I haven't really noticed a lot of bees..I really wanted to start a bee hive but for many reasons Bear being one them I have to pass on that.

I was searching the internet to see if I could plant daffodil bulbs under my fruit trees..I was so excited to read that not only can you plant daffodil's under your fruit trees its advised that you do it to attract honey bees..the source (sorry can't remember where ) said when the daffodil's bloom the bee's will come do their business and then when the daffodil's are done blooming the fruit trees will start to blossom so the bees will pollinator your fruit trees...plus the bee's always will remember to come back year after year..I'm super excited and can't wait until spring to see if it's true.


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## Grandmotherbear (May 15, 2002)

mythreesons said:


> Have no idea where Delaware Cty is but my dh said it's a 1-1/2hrs away from us..
> 
> I'm patiently waiting for my going into it's 4th year Apple tree (would of had 2 this age but my son wiped it out last winter with our go-cart :facepalm to produce me lots of apples. I have 3-other Apple tree's that are only a year old..I can't wait!


 Are you where you can grow a "Wealthy" apple tree? They are precocious and will often bear in their 2nd year.


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## edjewcollins (Jun 20, 2003)

I agree with the OP, I buy the ingredients on sale and not the prepared stuff to keep my food bill down. 73% hamburger is going for $3.50 to $4/lb here. I am splitting an entire black Angus steer with a a friend and we are paying $3.25 out the door processed how we want it. Another good score like the thanksgiving turkeys is ham after Christmas and Easter. Picked up nice shank hams after Christmas for .99/lb and just ate an awesome double batch of split pea and ham soup. Had enough ham left over for scalloped potatoes.


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## Guest (Feb 27, 2015)

Grandmotherbear said:


> Are you where you can grow a "Wealthy" apple tree? They are precocious and will often bear in their 2nd year.


I really don't know. I will google that right now.Thanks


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