- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
Bacon and eggs?
Just found myself mentioning on the Faem Business board how expensive our bacon & egg breakfast is going to become. PEDV and a new, sow-killing PRRS variant are crunching hog production. Drought has already driven cattle numbers to a 70- year low.
Protein is becomng more and more expensive. Folks focus on the price of gasoline, but we can't frack our way to a plentiful food supply.
Just a sci-fi question, I hope, but what do you think Americans would do, if they encountered empty shelves and coolers at the store?
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
Re: Bacon and eggs?
you know that is one thing my husband is always saying about the difference between American attitudes and European attitudes towards farming and even government.
America has never experienced food shortage. Not the way European countries have. Although it has been long enough that there are fewer and fewer around that remember the experiences.
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
Re: Bacon and eggs?
He tells the yale of a crooked relative, now deceased, who supposedly moved cattle through without detection, slaughtering them on the family farm, by putting boots on their feet, so it looked like men had been walkng there instead. I insist that this is an Andy Griffith episode trick, but he swears he was told this uncle used that trick to scape detection as a black marketeer of beef.
I have a vintage cookbook or two, of rationing recipes. They hark back to the Civil War ones, when Southern cooks had to learn to be really creative. In fact, I think some processed products today were originally introduced as substitutions for whole foods that were in short supply.
We are removed so far from those times of true want due to scarcity. I guess most folks would just order takeout....
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
Re: Bacon and eggs?
My family also has "rationing" stories. My mom says she was the only kid around where she lived that had tires for her bike because her folks had a special rubber ration so they could have tires to take my aunt to the doctor. Also supposedly one of my great Uncles made a lot of money in the sugar "black market".
But I do not think the inconvenience of rationing that Americans experienced during that time compares at all to the devastating conditions Europe dealt with during the war.
I do not think Americans would handle true hardship very well at all. We are a much too selfish, bigoted, and reactionary people.
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
Re: Bacon and eggs?
I don't think it would take much for a food shortage. Stores like Wal Mart do not keep stack but rely on daily deliveries.
I just read where the USDA expects the poultry virus to die down with hot weather and reappear in the winter and stay around like other viruses. It is already hurting the over seas markets. When they euthanize the entire farm and then do a complete clean out it will be devastating for the farm and companies.
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
Re: Bacon and eggs?
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
Re: Bacon and eggs?
I'm more worried about this sow killing PRRS virus. Is it just in your area of NC or wider? The pigs we got last week are not as big and robust as usual. Several have shown up unable to walk on their back legs. Within 48 hours 3 more couldn't walk. They go downhill FAST!. Faster than just poor moving pigs. Euthanized all before long. Lots of smaller pigs and wanting to nurse on each other rather than eat. Not pretty looking at a couple of pens. All the others look great.
Well, like I said below.....
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
Re: Bacon and eggs?
Right now, I would say one farm is producing half of normal, the other, off 20%... And many are very weak at arrival.
Heartbreaking........
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
Re: Bacon and eggs?
I can live without bacon and eggs, but if BLT's were in short supply ...that would be catastrophic! I gonna keep my stash of bacon 'til tomato season.