The Incoming Food Shortages

[john_Jea]

For those of you that are thinking of farming/buying meat from a farm, have you considered lamb? I've never understood the American obsession of beef. From a quick search I did there are around 5m sheep vs 30m beef cattle alone in the states. from a logistical stand point it is much more reliable to raise lamb than beef as lambs are born in the spring and slaughtered in the fall vs the usual 18 month raising period for beef. Lambs are also nearly always raised on pasture ( at least over here).

Also smoked meat lasts forever and tastes very good. I would recommend anyone that has the space and time to build a smokeshed and learn to do it.

 

[MartyMcFly]

The prices for meat, milk, grain, veggies that you find on your Kroger coupon page don't reflect the cost of producing food in a community scale setting. They are a result of government subsidies for things like corn and soy, economies of scale gained by Big Agriculture, and the deleterious agricultural practices that they utilize to maximize production. It's a lot cheaper to spray 100 acres of GMO mono-cropped produce with pesticides and herbicides than it is to replace these processes with labor and produce food without toxic chemicals or degradation to the land. There are parallels when it comes to raising livestock and dairy. There are prices that local producers must charge to remain economically viable. When one decides to accept those prices and pay up, they are in a sense investing in their local community and cutting out their support for the agriculture industrial complex. Whether or not this trade off is worth it is a personal choice one must make.

What is confusing is that in China and Cambodia, the small local markets often charge the same or less than the supermarket when it comes to vegetables, fruit, and eggs. This is the reason that I thought local farmers in the USA were overcharging.

I know in China, most large and small farmers use a lot of pesticides though and buying from locals doesn't guarantee healthier food. The USA is likely different because consumers tend to be more willing to pay extra for food if it is 'organic.'

 

[MartyMcFly]

For those of you that are thinking of farming/buying meat from a farm, have you considered lamb? I've never understood the American obsession of beef. From a quick search I did there are around 5m sheep vs 30m beef cattle alone in the states. from a logistical stand point it is much more reliable to raise lamb than beef as lambs are born in the spring and slaughtered in the fall vs the usual 18 month raising period for beef. Lambs are also nearly always raised on pasture ( at least over here).

Also smoked meat lasts forever and tastes very good. I would recommend anyone that has the space and time to build a smokeshed and learn to do it.

Also goats should be considered. Personally, I prefer the taste of goat milk to cow milk. Goat and sheep meat is also very tasty.

Some good ideas here:

Discover the Easiest Animals to Raise on a Small Farm

Learn the easiest animals to raise for any beginning small farmer, homesteader, or hobby farmer with this helpful list.

www.treehugger.com

 

[Renzy]

This is also where having hunting as a hobby pays off. While the initial startup costs are high (bow, broadheads, climber, etc.) there are benefits outside of costs when harvesting your own meat:

- Your meat is about as "organic" as it gets.

I don't know what sort of hormones and antibiotics are used in the commercial livestock industry but if it's anything like Big Ag the bottom line is the goal and not your health or the quality of the meat. At least with animals you hunt, you don't have to worry about what they've been injected with or what they were fed.

- Empty shelves at the grocery store don't matter as much.

When covid hit in 2020 I saw lots of empty shelves where the meat used to be. It didn't affect me and my family as much because we had a deep freezer full of venison. At the very least, having it as an alternative can help weather the ups and downs of the supply chain shocks and price increases coming down the line.

 

[fireshark]

Just got a new freezer today. Have half of an entire cow coming next week. I'm totally open to lamb, but didn't have any connections for that like I do cow.

 

[BeatUpTruck]

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For those of you that are thinking of farming/buying meat from a farm, have you considered lamb? I've never understood the American obsession of beef. From a quick search I did there are around 5m sheep vs 30m beef cattle alone in the states. from a logistical stand point it is much more reliable to raise lamb than beef as lambs are born in the spring and slaughtered in the fall vs the usual 18 month raising period for beef. Lambs are also nearly always raised on pasture ( at least over here).

Also smoked meat lasts forever and tastes very good. I would recommend anyone that has the space and time to build a smokeshed and learn to do it.

I live in rural central Canada. I know a few farmers who have tried raising sheep. Coyotes take too much of a toll. They’ll kill several lambs every night. They won’t even bother to eat them all, they’re smart enough to kill for fun. Dogs don’t help. A couple coyotes will lure the dogs away and the rest of the pack moves in.

 

[Papaya]

Biden and the government announced las tweek that there will be food shortages.

I was raised on a small farm in Central California. My parents have been home steading for a while and will be well off compared to city folks. I myself, have no interest in returning to that state. Because of my career I find myself in a small city, in a townhouse with no yard/garden.

What can myself and those of us stuck in towns/cities do to prepare for these food shortages? I do not have pets or a family and only have to fend for myself.


Suggestions appreciated, and looking forward to this discussion.

Do your folks have a basement?

 

[Sargon2112]

I live in rural central Canada. I know a few farmers who have tried raising sheep. Coyotes take too much of a toll. They’ll kill several lambs every night. They won’t even bother to eat them all, they’re smart enough to kill for fun. Dogs don’t help. A couple coyotes will lure the dogs away and the rest of the pack moves in.

Many of the older farmers around here have donkeys in with their livestock for that purpose. Sounds crazy, but the donkeys will keep the coyotes away.

 

[Sargon2112]

Just got a new freezer today. Have half of an entire cow coming next week. I'm totally open to lamb, but didn't have any connections for that like I do cow.

We did that last year. You'll be glad you did it, and the meat was much higher quality than the grocery store too.

 

[rainy]

Just got a new freezer today. Have half of an entire cow coming next week. I'm totally open to lamb, but didn't have any connections for that like I do cow.

Good on you. Smart.

Only reason I haven't done the same yet is I would first need to invest in a high powered generator. Can't afford the risk of buying half a cow and losing the meat when the power goes out. We get a lot of bad storms here.

 

[ed pluribus unum]

Good on you. Smart.

Only reason I haven't done the same yet is I would first need to invest in a high powered generator. Can't afford the risk of buying half a cow and losing the meat when the power goes out. We get a lot of bad storms here.

Chest freezers: we have a small one, and it's 20+ years old now but it keeps things frozen hard (probably -10 or -15C, I've never checked tbh). As long as you don't open the lid, or open to a minimum, it should retain the cold a long time.
Once we were away on a trip and came home to find that our power had been knocked out for at least 7 days. Most of the contents of the freezer were still frozen and I ended up just tossing some chicken that was at the top and thawing; everything else was fine.
Not saying to rely on the insulative properties but, in a pinch, they can carry you for a few days at least.

 

[katar]

Me and my wife started getting some extras in when the CV lockdowns started, we've even got some jerry cans of water around the place. The priority IMO has to be tinned meat/fish, beans and rice - the usual. Making food tasty and comforting is also worthwhile, sauces, herbs and spices will do this. Include "hing"(asafoetida) to go with the lentils and beans, as it lessens "emissions"

We' ve also put in some veggies in our garden and reused some containers for growing. It's difficult as most of our backyard is paved over but we'll do the best we can. I'm not going to dig up the flagstones, as a low maintenance garden would enable our property to sell quicker, I think. For the time being we're stuck in the big city.

Personally, I'd prefer to up sticks and buy a tiny cottage with land for firewood, away from the city. That's to come, when my wife retires.

 

[Dr Mantis Toboggan]

Chest freezers: we have a small one, and it's 20+ years old now but it keeps things frozen hard (probably -10 or -15C, I've never checked tbh). As long as you don't open the lid, or open to a minimum, it should retain the cold a long time.
Once we were away on a trip and came home to find that our power had been knocked out for at least 7 days. Most of the contents of the freezer were still frozen and I ended up just tossing some chicken that was at the top and thawing; everything else was fine.
Not saying to rely on the insulative properties but, in a pinch, they can carry you for a few days at least.

Get a freezer thermometer (it will have a display you can attach to the outside of the freezer and a sensor inside connected by a thin wire, thin enough that it doesn't disrupt the freezer's seal with the lid closed), that way you can monitor the temperature without having to open the lid. Also throw a bunch of heavy blankets on top in case of an outage to help with insulation.

 

[fireshark]

Chest freezers: we have a small one, and it's 20+ years old now but it keeps things frozen hard (probably -10 or -15C, I've never checked tbh). As long as you don't open the lid, or open to a minimum, it should retain the cold a long time.
Once we were away on a trip and came home to find that our power had been knocked out for at least 7 days. Most of the contents of the freezer were still frozen and I ended up just tossing some chicken that was at the top and thawing; everything else was fine.
Not saying to rely on the insulative properties but, in a pinch, they can carry you for a few days at least.

This is my second chest freezer. The first one was accidently unplugged for several days (we guess 3-5) and other than a pool of water to clean up, nothing was damaged and most things in the very bottom were still completely frozen.

I have a generator, but it's strictly emergency use, and not nearly big enough to power everything that would want to have power for.

 

[MartyMcFly]

Many of the older farmers around here have donkeys in with their livestock for that purpose. Sounds crazy, but the donkeys will keep the coyotes away.

Another positive thing is that donkey meat burgers are very tasty. Donkey sandwiches have potential to take off in the west once you convince local foodies to try them.

Chinese food has conquered the world. But are we ready for the donkey burger?

From steamed dumplings to hot pot, traditional Chinese food has often proved hugely popular in the West. Now, Chinese restaurant owners are hoping they have found the next delicacy to crack the Western market -- donkey burgers.

edition.cnn.com

 

[Easy_C]

Me and my wife started getting some extras in when the CV lockdowns started, we've even got some jerry cans of water around the place. The priority IMO has to be tinned meat/fish, beans and rice - the usual. Making food tasty and comforting is also worthwhile, sauces, herbs and spices will do this. Include "hing"(asafoetida) to go with the lentils and beans, as it lessens "emissions"

We' ve also put in some veggies in our garden and reused some containers for growing. It's difficult as most of our backyard is paved over but we'll do the best we can. I'm not going to dig up the flagstones, as a low maintenance garden would enable our property to sell quicker, I think. For the time being we're stuck in the big city.

Personally, I'd prefer to up sticks and buy a tiny cottage with land for firewood, away from the city. That's to come, when my wife retires.

I'd still recommend having some month's supply on hand even if you do farm. That way you can survive if a harvest is fails or is destroyed.

 

[bubs]

If you live rural and have your own well, having one of those extender pumps to drop down to hand pump water is a great risk investment if the electricity goes out for a long term period. At least you have easy access to fresh water without having to distill it from a nearby creek etc.

 

[Good_Shepherd]

Biden and the government announced las tweek that there will be food shortages.

I was raised on a small farm in Central California. My parents have been home steading for a while and will be well off compared to city folks. I myself, have no interest in returning to that state. Because of my career I find myself in a small city, in a townhouse with no yard/garden.

What can myself and those of us stuck in towns/cities do to prepare for these food shortages? I do not have pets or a family and only have to fend for myself.


Suggestions appreciated, and looking forward to this discussion.

You can still hunt and fish even if you stay in an apartment dont forget that, you can also get a garden going on other peoples gardens, backyards, share the idea with them, share a percentage of the harvest with them and you will be suprised with the responses

 

[Deusleveult]

Also goats should be considered. Personally, I prefer the taste of goat milk to cow milk. Goat and sheep meat is also very tasty.

Some good ideas here:

Discover the Easiest Animals to Raise on a Small Farm

Learn the easiest animals to raise for any beginning small farmer, homesteader, or hobby farmer with this helpful list.

www.treehugger.com

I'm getting 2 sheeps to start with soon. I wanted to get goats too but I've heard they're a pain in the ass to keep as they will try to escape anyway they can.
I will keep you updated about the sheeps if some of you guys are interested.
Thanks for the link

 

[Sargon2112]

Last September, we bought 4 baby chicks for eggs. They started laying back in February and so far so good. Every morning the kids go out and get four eggs out of the hen house. We've got about 9 acres here, with about 3 of those being open/ field, the rest is wooded. Thinking about goats and/or sheep. My concern is building a formidable fence to keep them from eating the garden.