Monday, August 25, 2008

Milk, bread, & eggs

I read this at Bill Moyer's Journal and thought it was worth sharing:


"The news at the grocery store is grim for many. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, food prices rose by 4% last year, the largest increase in 17 years. And, the USDA predicts they will rise another 4% this year. Eggs are up 40% in the past year; milk up 26% a gallon; a loaf of standard bread, 20%.
All across the nation families, government agencies and food banks are feeling the pinch. So many people are in precarious straits our government figures 28 million Americans will be using food stamps this year, the highest level since the program began in the 1960s. Almost one in 10 people in Ohio get food stamps; one in eight in Michigan, and one in six West Virginians. The rising food prices make that assistance worth less and less and food banks and pantries are facing increased need and those same higher prices."

The govt. does not use the word "hungry" to describe the 35 million Americans who have trouble finding the money to put food on the table. They use the term "food insecure." Second Harvest Food Bank will be changing their name to "Feeding America." http://www.secondharvest.org/

Demand at their food banks is up 20% over last year.

So why have food prices gone up so drastically? Well I did some research and found out that it's mostly because of record oil prices, so there's an increase in transportation costs, and an added demand for corn and soybeans to make alternative fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel, and as a result, corn prices have more than doubled, soybean prices have nearly tripled. When the price of corn rises, so does price of livestock feed. So, meat, poultry and egg prices go up. Another reason is poor wheat harvests. And it is predicted that food prices will continue to rise. So I guess it's a good idea to clip those coupons and start cutting back.

13 comments:

Look Out Lehigh Valley said...

This post makes me grateful to my CSA at Seasons' Harvest and my garden. I don't eat most of the foods that have seen the biggest increase in price, but I imagine for omnivores those price increases must be very difficult to work into already stretched budgets. I have thought for years that our food supply chain was by far one of the worst inefficiencies of our economy, hopefully this will cause some changes in the way we get our food for the better.

Katie - Unfortunately, most of the time "Growers' Markets" are in fact not cheaper but more expensive than grocery stores so they tend to pop up not in inner cities but in higher-income areas. The other local growers' markets that I know of are in Hellertown, Bethlehem, Easton, Emmaus, Coopersburg, Mt. Bethel and Macungie. Also, if you go to the markets in Allentown, Bethlehem, or Easton, you will find that they are considerably smaller than the suburban ones, and have a much harder time finding & keeping vendors due to a lack of buyers in the neighborhood.

The better option for cheaper produce is either roadside stands (often only in rural areas) or in the cities markets that specialize in fresh foods - Valley Farm Market tends to be the cheapest produce in the whole lehigh valley - they are located in Bethlehem and Allentown. Also, the Elias' market in center city Allentown is usually very cheap and has excellent produce.

Sarina said...

It makes me angry that junk food is always cheaper at the supermarket than produce. I'm sure we have government subsidies to thank for that.

There's a little market a couple blocks from my house that I've tried to go a couple times. Most of their customer base uses food stamps or access cards and the prices are incredibly high. I mean, $6 for a box of cereal!!

I try to get local produce at the road stands, grower's market and my garden plot, but I also shop at Elias for other non-local produce (citrus, avocado, exotic stuff). I try to go to the supermarket just once a month. It's not so much fun.

Sarina said...

Oh, almost forgot. Faigrounds Farmers Market is great for breads and local, organic meats. They're cheapest at the end of the day Saturday. The organic chicken guy sells whole 5-pound bags pretty cheap before closing.

The Unspoken Word said...

I like your report Angie
I heard the cost of Food is up.. like the cost of oil.. and it can be contributed to the HEDGE FUNDERS who speculate on the market..
and thus cause the rise in products.
in other words, i feel the Really Really Wealthy who can afford to play games our lives and in the process make even greater amounts of Money. have caused the effects we now serve

this is just my opinion.. i may be wrong.

Mrs. Dottie said...

THanks for thoughtful comments guys and gals, don't have much time to think today, but I'll be back later. Hedge funds, and the super wealthy ruling class, oh don't get me started on that Greg! I'm a big fan of The Nation mag (Yeah that liberal media bias!!)

Sarina said...

I know what you mean, Greg. It's like they're playing Russian roulette with our economy and our wallets. &%$#!

Bill Villa said...

Rent the recent documentary "King Corn" for an amazing eye-opener on how the U.S. gov't subsidizes corn growers whose crops are sold/used mostly for cheap high fructose corn syrup sweeteners that are in basically everything (read the labels) and as cheap grain feed (instead of grass feed) for cattle with like 75% more fat content than a generation ago. In a nut shell, the U.S. gov't is underwriting our nation's obesity and diabetes epidemics with its corn subsidy programs.

Mrs. Dottie said...

I should go to Valley Farm Market instead of Weis or King's. I try to get everything in one trip, but maybe that's not such a good idea.
I've noticed my weekly grocery bill has gone up, and I'm trying really hard to save with coupons and buying store brands, specials etc. There are ways to save money, but with a child who is constantly eating it is so hard to cut back.

I want to see that King Corn documentary. I think people need to be aware of what's going on, and speak out against it, maybe make some changes in their lifestyle. The food served in schools is not very nutritious, and probably has a lot of junk in it, even though they encourage kids to eat fruits and vegetables. I might just pack the lunch more often this year.

Anonymous said...

This was a great blog. And it's true, as previously noted, the inner city yoths and residents are hit very hard in regards to the raising of food prices. Not only are they forced to deal with price gouging in the local food stores(many may have WIC and ACCESS Cards, but many of the working poor do NOT) but they have to deal with the poor quality of the cheaper foods that surround them. Many will dine nightly on Chinese restaurant specials or fast food because the cost is lower than fresh vegetables at your average farmers market and the distance of these markets, themselves, might as well have them on the other side of the moon. (Many families in downtown Allentown do NOT have cars and public transportation and groceries do NOT mix well.) I do applaud the effort of the Allentown Farmers Market held every Wednesday at the PPL Building but, unfortunately, many of the downtown residents do not see the value in fresh vidalia onions or herbs and spices. I love and know the value of fruits and vegetables, but the average youngster will let you know they hate any type of ruffage and their parents ( who may be close to being children themselves)won't make them eat them even though they are in a vital stage for the growth and maturization of their bodies. (What happened to the times when your parents made you eat what was placed in front of you ? And on another note, whatever happened to Slim Goodbody?)

Alfonso

Mrs. Dottie said...

THanks Alfonso, for your perspective, and for shedding some light on reality. There are so mnay people living in poverty in Allentown.

Joe Hilliard said...

Bill is correct on his points. However, the big contributor to the explosion of food prices around the world is the irresponsible ethanol mandate.

Politicians create yet another problem!

Corn and its products are the foundation of almost all food. Mandate that a percentage be turned into fuel and all food prices will go up. And each year the mandate increases so things will only get worse.

The ethanol mandate should be repealed and so should subsidies.

Bill Villa said...

Hi Joe (just curious), do you believe offshore drilling will lower gas prices and do you believe Global Climate Change/Warming is a hoax ...

Mr.Dottie/Bill Villa said...

Joe?