After one month of lockdown, here in the United States, COVID-19 has radically changed the way we live our lives. Our routines have been shattered, some of us have lost jobs and incomes. We are even turning on each other over social distancing and government control.
We are also watching the price and availability of the food in our nation drastically change. Americans are not accustomed to this. Meats, paper products and even some canned staples are all missing at the bulk of supermarkets all over the nation.
There are many systems that will be affected by this virus and the drastic authoritarian actions of our local, federal and even world governments. Food is one that we have already felt the implications of. Meat processing, agriculture and even the supermarkets themselves are struggling to deal with greater demand and less supply.
So why, exactly, have food prices and food shortages come into play already?
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Tyson Tumbles
24 workers at a Tyson pork processing plant in Iowa have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and the plant is now shutdown.
There have been 2 deaths at another Tyson plant in Georgia and we must imagine that this is simply the beginning.
If proper measures cannot or have not been executed quickly, than we will see more illnesses like these, more deaths and more closures. This will amount to less meat on the shelves and likely a higher price on that meat.
While many people griped over the fact that COVID-19 wasn’t even as deadly as the flu, we are now seeing the full extent of its impact. COVID-19, unlike the flu, can shut down an entire processing plant. In fact, it will shutdown several, before this is all said and done.
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Smithfield Shudders and Shuts Down
One of the largest pork processing plants in the nation has shutdown.
In Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Smithfield has made the decision to close that plant because so many of the employees were infected with COVID-19.
There were 238 confirmed cases in this plant alone!
This plant is responsible for 5% of the nation’s pork production. The request to close came directly from the Governor Kristi Noem and the department of health.
This will influence both price and supply going forward. Hopefully, best practices will be created and spread around the nation to other meat processing plants. We cannot see meat processing hit much harder, without it having a strong effect on the average American.
The Institutional Gap
Funny enough, food production is also stunned by the fact that many farmers produce foods for restaurants.
While you might think of the supermarket as the one large outlet for food producers on the planet, institutions and restaurants utilize much more of the food supply compared to home kitchens.
You eat out once a week or more. Schools and restaurants are usually producing meals all day every day. Suddenly those massive outlets are no longer buying the food that these farmers are producing, that is meat, produce and dairy.
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Suspended Immigrant Labor Supply
Who picks the food we eat? We all know the answer. Many of the same people prepared the food we ate in restaurants.
America took action to limit who was coming in the nation in March as COVID-19 ramped up. This meant many of the immigrant and non-immigrant visas were suspended, as well.
As you can imagine, many farmers are concerned about what it might look like to have fields full of food and animals to feed, but no one to pick the food or feed the animals.
These implications have not been felt yet, but will play a role in what comes to market and what it costs to bring that food to market.
Local Farmer Solutions Â
At this point you are probably wondering how you are going to get meat at a decent price or get meat at all! You have been to the supermarkets and you have seen the shortages in the meat aisle. It can be very alarming.
The good news is, there are local farmers in your area that are growing food for your family, as we speak.
They likely setup shops each week at local farmer’s markets. Not only are these local farmers producing better quality meat, but they might even be looking for more customers.
Depending on your area, there might be many of these locations or only a few. Either way, now is a good time to do your research. You will pay extra for this meat then you are used to, but you will also have a direct connection to your local farmers.
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If you don’t plan on farming livestock yourself, this will be your best option.
Look into local CSA programs or Community Supported Agriculture. These programs are literally designed to sell meats and vegetables directly to you and your family. These programs make a year long commitment to you with a certain number of shares. They commit to providing you with food for a year. If we see a continuation of processing plant closures, supermarkets will not be able to make that same commitment to you.
Scared citizens are making a concerted effort to buy up as much meat and other groceries as possible, to deal with the unknown future due to COVID-19. Processing plants are shutting down from the virus and traditional outlets for this meat are also being compromised, which is forcing these monolithic meat producers to shift pivot their processes.
This is all going to affect you. It’s going to affect you in weeks, not months. Do you have a plan for skyrocketing meat prices or empty meat departments?
Now is the time to start looking at plan B, C and D in terms of protein consumption for you and your family.
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The sobering thing about all of this is that by the time these stories hit MSM the damage has been irrevocably done. Watch for panic buying, which will further tax the supply.
Otoh, if you are in a position to raise meat animals, you will have more customers for your overstock than you could handle.
Smithfield shut down…Hmmmm…The biggest American meat packing plant, NOW OWNED BY THE CHINESE, all of a sudden had much of their work force infested with the Covid. WOW! Hmmmmm! What are the chances of that???
That was a comment I made over a week ago. Am I just a paranoid tin-hatter ig I suspect there is some skullduggery going on?
During my trip last Wed to Walmart, I wanted to stock up on meat. They had a fair amount of all types of meat on sale, but I took a closer look. Every since I found out Smithfield is Chinese-owned and after their pig feces-ponds overflowed, I don’t buy Smithfield. The overwhelming majority left is Tyson. Tyson is American-owned, but they control an uncomfortably-large percentage of the market. Much of what wasn’t labelled Tyson was labelled Hillshire Farms which Tyson owns. They also own Jimmy Dean, Ballpark, wright, IBP, State Fair and Aidells. The beef I bought had a stamp on the bottom that it was provided by Tyson Foods, North Dakota. They have shut down a few plants out of liability concerns and I don’t think the shut downs will be long-lived, but I also think they are trying to jack up prices. Did score a nice ham steak from an in-state family-owned business. Am okay for meat, but not as much as would like.
Gov: Can you go to a farmer and buy-in a pig or beef? It’s paying in advance for parts of meat. When the whole animal is ‘sold’ it goes to slaughter and within a week or so, you get your share. Most farmers deal exclusively with small slaughterhouses, and these places are far cleaner than the mega companies. Often, we buying poultry, the farmer will do you a ‘favor’ by slaughtering the birds for you.
I try to buy from the Ranchero Carniceria, a small butcher shop 10 miles away. We need to get another mid-sized freezer! niio
Several years ago, the big packers wanted to shut down the smaller hometown slaughter houses/locker plants so they went to Congress and tightened the health and safety regulations putting a good number of them out of business not because they were poorly run but because they couldn’t afford to comply.
It’s difficult now to find a local plant and if there is one within driving distance, their kill floor is booked up for months even before this “crisis”. In addition, they are now being swamped by out of locale business both in their meat cases and on the killing floor.
The take away is, if you locate a small packing plant, be sure you call ahead before you load up your ice chests and drive across the state to stock up your own freezer.
Farmer’s: I remember too well. Pennsylvania was bad already 60 years ago for controlling people. the broilers, pork, and dairy we sold were ‘bootleg’. We used bleach and scalding water to keep things clean, while stores were selling poultry you said a prayer over in hopes you didn’t get sick eating it. Now, at last, farmers can access a rolling slaughterhouse, a semi owned by butchers. niio
I think most of us are ready. If not, move to Texas and help take care of their wild hog problem 🙂 There might be a lot of hunters out this year in most states, just saying. If you’re late to the game, there’s still plenty of Protein alternatives on Amazon and others, such as powdered protein, cheese, eggs, etc. I remember they used to “pickle” eggs, maybe not a bad idea. Some of us are ready, but there’s still a little room for others to catch up, and think outside the box a bit.
Dave: I’ll stick with Arizona 🙂 a lot more folks down here are buying poultry, citing the food emergency. the wealthy Kali libs are going to freak out! niio
It is sad. This past week, 2 million chickens were killed without processing in Maryland and Dalaware, because there was no one to work the plant.
My heart breaks for the senseless killing of those chickens. I only hope it was done in a humane way.
Plants closing, no one to process foods, farmers plowing produce into the ground. So happy that yesterday Governor Cuomo in N.Y, said he was allocating 25 million dollars to try to get food that would be destroyed to the food banks!
This couldnt be true. Who would kill that many chickens if the plant was closed? How? The chickens can live until the plant is ready. Please dont spread junk news like this.
Jackie: I wish with all my heart it were fake news. It’s gross, and worse than that. The big farms with thousands of birds in each building the buildings are airtight. Each is heavily insulated and it costs a lot of money to keep them going.
It wouldn’t be the first time it was done. When bird flu went thru, they used CO2, dry ice. Farmers are shooting pigs and in Texas, a rancher said they were ordered to ‘euthanize’ feeder cattle. But, we’re still importing beef cattle from Mexico and Africa.
They did kill them. The farmers can’t afford to feed them indefinitely. They grow so quickly their legs can’t support their weight and cannot walk on broken legs. They can be in extreme pain. I’m not a farmer on that caliber but l do have chickens. Mine aren’t that big because they are for my use and not for sale. The sheer amount of chickens on the large farms makes it impossible to keep until the factories reopen.
Susie: Bill Maher said months ago, he wished for an economic crisis to stop Trump. he got it. How many of these creepy people are invested in overseas factory farms? Plenty, I bet. niio
Here we go. This will look like the Toilet paper fiasco all over again. Oh, and the farmer markets have been shut down since last winter and especially after the shelter in place orders. And anyone that is worried about this, that come here are not true preppers they are just hanger ons. Not to be confused with a cling on.
Actually it’s worse then tp
They did kill them. The farmers can’t afford to feed them indefinitely. They grow so quickly their legs can’t support their weight and cannot walk on broken legs. They can be in extreme pain. I’m not a farmer on that caliber but l do have chickens. Mine aren’t that big because they are for my use and not for sale. The sheer amount of chickens on the large farms makes it impossible to keep until the factories reopen.
We have a wonderful community group that produces meat and vegetables from organic farming. It is a religious group, not going into that to avoid unnecessary comments. The food is excellent quality, carefully prepared and very competitive pricing. We were lucky enough to get bundled prices for the meats we will use, and have purchased from them before, so a good relationship has been established. We do have to drive about 50 miles to their location, but definitely worth it.
I’m also happy to support local farmers, even though in Kansas, most products are local. We produce 25% of the beef for the country in the southwest part of our state, and although they have some instances of the disease, most are not showing symptoms so they should be able to get back to work soon. Good for the rest of the country.
Our country farmers market gives 2 for 1 on SNAP, which makes me pleased, and I try to let people know so those who have it are more likely to buy veggies for their children. We have never had to use it, but I can’t imagine trying to get by that way, especially now.
Good luck to everyone, as a retired nurse, I can only imagine how hard it is right now trying to take care of so many sick people.
I have home canned turkey, turkey vegetable soup, bone broth, ham in pint jars, and 20 lb of ground beef browned and sealed with beef broth. I have 2 more hams to can. The ham bones and skins are used up other ways. I have on sealed jar full of beef tallow. Tallow is hard enough to make candles or flavorful to fry potatoes in. I started about thanksgiving time so when the crisis hit here we were already well stocked.
True. Farmers are plowing under crops because they can’t get them to market. Same with boilers, fryers, egg layers. Ready to slaughter hogs and feedsr pigs, as well. Now the government wants ranchers to euthanize ready to slaughter cattle, while Namibia is sending cattle by the shipload.
Arizona deals a lot with Mexico, and while prices rose, it’s not as severe as I hear from other states. Eggs should be 75c-90c a dozen, are 1.20 but bought in flats, under a dollar a dozen. Still, were we paid 129/month for groceries last year it’s now over 200 per person. the pandemic-rats finally got their way, we’re heading toward a Wiemar Republic type government. niio
Never saw eggs @75-90 cents/dozen. You must be living in a time warp!! AT LOWEST (bland, store brand, generic, low quality eggs) around 1.60-1.90/ dozen. Of course I am in the NYC tri-state area! The eggs I buy, organic and free roaming or free range are $4.00+ dozen.
I live in rural New Mexico and it seems our eggs are priced about the same as yours.
ClergyLady. Glad to see you back. Are you feeling better?
Richards/richerdson whatever his name was, the Kali who came in to be elected gov., did some weird things to NM Eggs. bird flu went thru, he tried to get anything remotely free range killed. Then when that didn’t work, he wanted everyone who sold eggs to have them tested for salmonella. But, large producers from out of state were exempted. Most of our eggs come from Texas. The costs here are a lot higher. niio
Not well but better. I can read easier and thinking is getting easier. Finished a round of antibiotics. Should know Thursday of Friday if I still will need more or not. I have my good live culture yogurt waiting for when I’m done with antibiotics. I have powdered milk here if I need to make more.
ClergyLady: It sounds like a bout of corona. How are the lungs? Now they think I had it last November. It last weeks longer than a cold or flu. Had much the same symptoms of both.
the last batch of kraut is in the freezer. We had it yesterday with pork, tonight (9:30, it finally cooled off enough to open the doors to cook) fried with some hamburger. Juice is high in probiotics, so I don’t need a whole lot of yogurt, but it does go well with kraut 🙂
Red
I’m past antsy to get the garden going. Last week was a hard freeze and snow all around us. This week upper 80s and warmer nights. Dr told me to stay inside all this week to avoid the dust outside as the sinuses are still raw and actually hurt with each breath. Rinsing with sailene solution is still uncomfortable but healing.
Many plants I started early are getting leggy even with pinching growing tips off. That encourages side growth but things should be getting into the ground. Corn if direct planted should have been in the ground and with added moisture would have sprouted this week. What I started inside died while I was so very sick the last few weeks. I’ll get more of the dwarf quick one planted inside this week. Its a 66 day corn. Old Native heirloom passed down from my grandmothers days on the farm in PA. She lived on the farm from 1897-1920. She grew some of it every year till she stopped gardening in 1968. Passed away in 1970. Mom and I both grew it after that. Mom passed on in 2000 so its just me now. Younger son may want some again when they can get a home. Middle sons wife will garden when’s she’s able to come to the US. She loves her fresh vegetables.
I believe the seeds originally came from the New England area. Family began settling there in 1622. Its been in the family a long time. I always hold some back when planting. Just in case.
I had a small yellow bean my fathers family had for about 100 years. Those are gone. Last ones wouldn’t sprout. Sort of sad loosing an heirloom.
I buy as little as possible most of the time. When I really need more of something I try to buy two. Like many old timers I grew up with a storage area full of filled canning jars. We gardened, forraged, paid you pick prices for fruit. Then we canned and dried to eat till next year. Still a smart way to live.
ClergyLady: I can hardly wait for your son and family to come home to you. Like the Mexicans say, you’ll dance as wild as gypsys on the Sea of Cortes.
Year before last, I had so many seedlings I gave away most, including sweet potato slips. Last year, most died because of a weird weather pattern. this year is sort of in between, and I’m cautious about starting them.
We always had a pantry full of quarts and half-gallons, and a full smokehouse, barrels of pickles, freezer full. We moved to town and it stopped for a while, till my grandmother complained Mom’s cooking was off. Too much bought from the store and nothing from the canner or freezer. We all suffered over that, going to family who had truck patches and sweating in a hot kitchen till the shelves in the basement were loaded. No smokehouse than, we had neighbors with sticky fingers. niio
I sell a dozen for 2 bucks free range
Raven I could wish for such a neighbor. I’d gladly pay $2 a dozen for free range eggs.
Raven: and they’re worth it. ! niio
En: As an expert in aggie, feel free to teach me. I’ve only been involved with it since birth, over 60 years ago 🙂 Yes, it’s fine to bust stones.
Eggs are seasonal. Here, Arizona, the best time for eggs is in cool weather. Leghorns will lay one a day, sometimes two. Go to an egg farm. You can buy 2nds, the shells aren’t perfect, for 25c-50c a dozen. that’s still more than the farmer gets from the company he’s contracted to.
Organic costs more because farmers pay upwards 2,000 dollars per acre to have the soil tested. It still takes 3 years and more to get certified and most don’t bother. One chemical spray drift over an organic farm means he’s back to square one for a year or more.niio
Eggs here are seasonal also. 0 in cold weather. To have winter eggs you need the hems in a warm well lit place.
ClergyLady: Peace. We had Americana in a mixed flock. They layed all winter, and that was Zone 4-5. One thing about them, they love snow, but not so much the heat. Mm’s family flock was mostly Reds and rocks. Commercial layers were leghorns. No extra heat, but got plenty of eggs even in winter. Mom always fed them hot mash in the morning and before they went to roost.
Well, the garden has shifted to desert dry heat. Not much going on till the rains start. Prickly pear pads came on early, so that’s one good thing.
Packrats dug a burrow under the mesquite tree outback. I don’t mind. Most of the stuff in the compost bucket is water and so on, and that can get poured in the burrow to sub irrigate the mesquite. They gnawed a hole in the compost barrel to help themselves to seeds and greens. they didn’t stay long, the rattler moved under the shed for a while, but she’s back out in the brush where its cooler in the day.
I’m picking blueberry tomatillo, but too many of the plants died. they do not like the sun or wind on them. they originated in the forests, the Yucatan, so it’s understandable. More survived this year than last because of seed saved–by accident, they came up on their own 🙂 Next year, God alone knows. peace to you, and His health!
They are supposed to have a break in laying eggs
Raven: That’s up to the hen. Her break was setting eggs. If she doesn’t have the instinct, then often they lay thru the year. I think the record lay was almost an egg a day from a Leghorn for over 460 days. the she went in molt and a month later, was laying again, this time as the farm pet. niio
In Nebraska where there are millions of egg layers our Grocery store price for regular eggs are $3/dozen. Even at Dollar General. How can there be such a disparity in prices?
Spike: they’re selling out of state or egg farms are killing off chickens because they can’t get them to market. A few told me they put their poultry on half-rations because they can’t get feed. those will be buried, too. niio
Eggs here in North Puget Sound area are $1.62 at Walmart and $1.99/doz at Safeway. These are the usual prices though sometimes Walmart will charge less than that. Eggs are technically large, but must just barely meet that requirement.
BTW, thank you for the suggestion about trying to get meat from a local farmer. The next day I got a circular for local businesses with an ad for beef from an organic local farm halfway between my house and Walmart. The beef is not cheap, but not any higher than Safeway and looked to be much better quality than what I usually get. I will take a cooler and lay in quite a bit on my next grocery run in about 10 days. I wouldn’t have given it two looks if not for your suggestion.
Gov: Grass fed! Back when it was all grass fed it was a health food. Grain is like candy to kids, the less the better. niio
Meat processors are not the only food factories that are going to be affected. I think we can expect to see shortages of other food products as covid 19 circulates throughout this country and infects food factory workers.
Frugal: Farmers are plowing down produce because they can’t get it to market. Grain is yet to be harvested. Most fruit is going high. Broiler and egg production in a lot of states is suffering. Texas ordered ranchers to knock off feeder cattle, ready to slaughter, because there is no market with the giants in the meat industry. That’s where the problem is. Giant companies with massive plants in a few states. And, to mock us, the USDA is allowing shiploads of cattle from Namibia–after telling ranchers to bury theirs.
My step daughter works in a factory that makes high protiene bars. Many workers have quit. They wear hornets, face masks, gloves, and a gown over their clothing and shoe coverings and as much as possible they stay 6+ ft apart. I believe this is what factories will have to do. Employers will have to provide PPE.
Tyson chicken plant in Tennessee employs over 600 Muslims. We all know how they feel about us infidels. We don’t buy any Tyson products for that reason. We do have a local Sanderson Farms chicken processing plant here in NC. that employs local people who live and work there. Sanderson also does a lot of things for the community they don’t have to do. We buy their products regularly, good quality chickens, grown locally by contracted growers. We also have a Smithfield pork processing plant here. Yes, the Chinese have bought out Smithfield. There is another Smithfield Hams processing plant 3 hours north of us in VA. We are done with Chinese owned Smithfield products ! Never will buy their products again ! We all know how unsanitary Chinese facility’s are in China. Probably will be the same here in the US. Inspectors can be bought off. My Dad told me over 20 years ago before he passed I would probably see folks raising hogs,cows,chickens, & gardens in their back yards again so they would be able to eat like his family did during the Depression & on to the 1950 s. I believe he was right as it’s coming to pass.
Well, I still have Lucy in my freezer. Quarter cow in June of 18. I also have Curley, only about 15 pounds from last summer. I also have ground pork, not as fond of pork, still have maybe 10 pds. Oh yes, and three whole meat chickens from a friend last December. Nevermind the 10 growout rabbits and the two being bred this week. My rabbits are in a locked barn, My chickens will also be secure.
As I am a high protein person, I thought about it and made arrangements. My stockpiles are heavy meat and alternative flours as wheat is a problem.
Do I hoard? Hate the word, NO. I buy one at a time as I have funds. My business is cyclical, I’m ready to go back to work.
PS, the rabbits were first started in a place in my house, very quiet. No one know they were there. That is what you need. Stay safe.
Lisa: Be blessed. Hording? Good Lord, no. But if we weren’t stocked for an emergency, we’d be standing in store lines as part of the problem.
I ask Grampa when I was a little kid, why did they put bars (oak) on the barn windows. He said, to keep the honest people honest. Good fences make good neighbors.
Eat like the old-timers here did. No wheat (no gluten), meat, some veggies and fruit. I do not use veggie oils other than some olive for salad dressing. Tallow and lard, yes. If it starts to darken from overuse, it goes in the freezer. If there’s more than we might need for other uses, in winter it goes to the birds, who in turn fertilize the mesquite and cactus we do eat.
Because I like to make adobe blocks, we save bones to use with wood. Bone burns very hot and bakes the blocks better than a regular kiln. Stay safe, stay healthy. niio
Actually, most people get too much protein, but few would ever believe it. They also believe all of this COVID-19 hype, which is about 95% total BS.
Jeff: I tried vegan and wound up in the hospital. It’s not the protein, but the source. People who live for untold generations on meat, do not do well on soy. Even the Chinese say men should be wary of it because of toxins. Like the protests against the dem totalitarians? Life is getting interesting… ! niio
Soy is fine for most women, and some is great at menopause. It isn’t toxins it is a plant form of estrogen. Men aren’t in need of much estrogen.
clergyLady: Friends form china do not eat a lot of it. The women can, men no, but even the women say it can cause cancer and thyroid problems,. Wild soy is toxic. domesticated it still has to be roasted to get rid of much of the toxins. the USDA has been telling people to not feed it to breeder stock, even heifers and sows, because of the toxins. estrogen is the major, yes. niio
I agree, Jeff. It is easy to criticize after the fact and I realize a lot of decisions were made in the dark, but I think we over-reacted. I was afraid in the beginning and felt uneasy when I went to the stores. I am no longer afraid even tho’ I’m long in the tooth. I am not hearing much about the demographics of who has died. At this point, why not protect them and let all the healthy, younger people get back to work? About 300 people in my county which is made up of small towns, pop. 250,000 has had 300 people did positive, 40 hospitalized at some point in their illness and 10 died. Now I wear a mask mostly to be polite to people who have to be on the job and I use a glove at swipe machines.
I’m pretty much a homebody so my life has not changed much, but I really feel for people who need to work or live alone and want so much to socialize again.
Because man never passes up an opportunity to make a buck, especially when the can gouge others to do it. It ain’t rocket science folks. Kind of like the direct marketers who use this forum to Build a list of contacts to push their questionable products on the gullible. Even if the gullible don’t get suckered the direct marketers sell their list of email contacts so other direct marketers can target them. Beware of those who offer free stuff. Nothing in life is free
If the 7 Trillion (That’s Trillion with a capital T) pork bill has the effect I think it will have, we are just seeing the beginning of the increasing prices that will come with the devalued dollar.
I think it is a good time to not dig into your long term supplies but to keep current with purchases as much as you can. Save your emergency foods for when prices really skyrocket.
I really, really hope that I am totally wrong and in 18 months you all can say, “LCC as a financial seer you don’t know squat.”
too true. It’s summer (for us, anyway) and if things keep going via the Weimar Republic express, we’ll all be hungry by fall. When we shop, we buy two of everything. Because we live miles from Tucson, no one questions it. A friend has a sheet of good steel roofing, used, he’s getting rid of. It would make a good dehydrator. And, steel fly screen is still inexpensive. Man, you rock. 🙂 niio
LCC- I am more optimistic (or naive), But this is good advice regardless of the outcome.
Well LLC I don’t have high hopes for food prices by Fall.
I’ve been sick so some things look to be going into ground late. Still I’ll grow all I can. That’s how we make it anyway.
Clergylady, i was also a bit sick, lost about 4-5 weeks.
Late, we are now touching 100. Everything dies in our summer(winter). I’m thinking I’ll start in late september. i can still “plant cactus on my back fence to stop the potential two legged coyotes. And they are edible, will learn how.
I’m in quiet farm area, buy goat milk and eggs. Still hoping to bring my now laying hens home soon. We buy between neighbors, and the rule is cash, no traceability.
Let cactus breaks or cuts dry and heal. Then just rough up the dirt a bit. Maybe take it. Then lay the pads there. Water now and then of hope for summer rains. Eventually some or all will root. Doesn’t need a lot of moisture. Only now and then.
Red.
4-5 weeks of horrible headache. Sinuses raw, ears did ache but that cleared with the antibiotic. Cold clammy sweats when on feet for more than a few minutes. Now weak but some improved. Lungs fine. Very sore neck muscles. But beginning to ease since the antibiotic. Supposed to talk to clinic NP Thursday or Friday. No fever. No cough. Now supposed to stay inside and not be out in dust. Rinsing sinuses with sailene solution is beginning to help. Started that just three days ago. May do some more antibiotic. Have to avoid sun from this antibiotic.
May ask about testing. Husband is fine. Not sick, no cough. Feeling well. At 81 and in poor health we’d expect he’d show some signs if I had covid19 for that long.
thank god you’re getting better. We need you! Not corona, then, I guess. the doctors recommended some baking soda in the rinse water but mine is caused by an allergic reaction to mold and mildew. the stepdaughter uses yogurt and kraut juice…. Yeah, my reaction too 🙂 niio
This time of year, I get ear aches when outside for a length of time, esp. mowing.
Garlic oil with crushed fresh garlic has worked for me for years..drop some in each ear and block with cotton.
I don’t have much kraut on hand. Do like it. May have bratwurst and kraut for dinner. Sounds good. Mom made kraut every fall. She’d cook it with diced apples when serving it alone as a vegetable. Remember seeing that and thinking NO WAY! But it was good.
ClergyLady: Last night, fried kraut with hamburger. Each was fried separately because f the grease, and that the kraut would soften too much if over cooked. Saved the juice from the kraut and drank some–almost sour enough to call vinegar, but good. It was summer kraut and took about a week to cute, no salt is a key because salt slows the actions of the probiotics curing it. Apples! had to use a cup of apple sauce, but wow that’s good, always. the Dorsett planted last January refuses to stop blooming. It hurts, but for this year they have to go. The tree needs to root in, not try to make apples. the air here is full of citrus and olives in bloom. Arizona is blessed in many ways. niio
Jay: Mine turn into infections. Humid weather can make them start because of the mold. The only times it quit for a while was when visiting family in Brooklyn NY because the stepdaughter was into all organic, and we would go swimming at Brighton Beach. Only a drop of gluten will set it off, as well. the last time they ordered me to the E-ward (VA nurses, so kind and gentle–drill sergeants are scared of them 🙂 because both ear drums blew out. niio
Why the earaches? Exposure to winds, allergies? My husband has occas earaches. One recently. Will look for pattern and share your treatment.
I’ve had “swimmers ear” since childhood. When I wash my hair or shower I dry each ear with a cotton swab then drip in alcohol till I feel it hit the ear drum. That takes care of the problem.
This was different and should have been treated earlier. I’m still getting a bad headache but Not unbearable now. The ears seem clear. The sinuses were so raw the every breath hurt in the sinus cavity. Now I feel the breath enough to notice but but not the raw feeling like it was. The muscles in the neck would get little painful spasms. Touch the front of My forehead or the center of the back of my head and it would set off painful spasms. That isn’t happening any more. But the head is still tender. My living room chairs are all highbacked. I have to sit somewhat sideways with a soft thick blanket folded up to support my neck and pad for my head. Can’t sit where the back of the head touches the chair. It’s something strange. Pain is down enough 2 Tylenol will almost take care of it for 4 hours but I’m finally sleeping 6-7 hours before more Tylenol. It was so bad before the antibiotic that I’d considered my PRN medication but held out without it. Normally I take one medication and resist anything more. I hate pills with a passion. This time I quite willingly took the antibiotic and lots of Tylenol. Still taking 2 Tylenol about every 6 hours. I should take it at 4 but I wait till it wears off then sit still till it kicks in. I still get dizzy when on my feet long. I’ll call the clinic today to see if I can get another round of antibiotic to finish kicking this thing. Feel like a whimp taking anything. Usually I Just tough out anything that comes along. I helped set my broken arm years ago, made it through a breach birth at home… But this had me knowing I couldn’t get over it. I just kept getting worse for 4 weeks before the antibiotics and Tylenol. I could barely walk. Couldn’t read more than a few words at a time. It’s a wonder I kept my husband fed at all. By the time I started the antibiotic we were eating cold cereal and pbj sandwiches. I’m still not hungry but when I cook I try to eat. Still simple things. Someone gave me a bunch of applesauce cups. Those taste good so we each have one between our two meals.
Whatever this is I have never had anything like it and never want it again.
Spike
Perhaps the eggs are contracted to be sent elsewhere. But I agree. If you live where there are lots of egg layers $3 a dozen is steep.
So sorry to hear how sick you have been. It takes a long time to recover to 100% from such an illness. Hope you get there soon.
Love the article but you should verify your numbers and validate the way the virus was detected in those numbers. The test is ridiclous, dig more on that too. Too me that part is dangerous and gives potientally false information about a current situation. Some numbers I am sure are correct, like any dangerous flu or viurs, while others are not, and have been forced on the medical community.
Sadly, but not unusual is that the media is totally sensoring what they want us to know or believe. If you or anyone reading are navive enough to beltive that than you are part of the problem not the solution.
Check out these videos and articles.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6S9YD65I9cw
https://www.naturalhealth365.com/covid-19-fraud-who-cdc-3376.html
https://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/was-covid-19-test-meant-detect-virus
Good luck to all getting through this illness and the abuse of power. We have both at the same time. One thing is clear no one is laughing at the preppers any more.
Dog Trainer
So glad to be a prepped. Have so little to pick up now other than prescriptions. Neighbor calls whenever heading to a store. Sometime I’ll take a gallon of milk.
My only concern about you is your big-hearted ness. Seems like we periodically read about religious folks who took someone in and ends up with their throat slit. I’m sure they thought they were good judges of character. Also, doesn’t sound like your preparedness is much of a secret. Take care.
Only one neighbor knows about preps and he’s become a prepper as well.
ClergyLady: It’s sad, isn’t it, that we’ve lost so much. A Hopi elder drags the grandkids out to teach them how to pray and prepare the fields like his grandfather did for his grandmother. If the tractor breaks down, my mother said, said you still have your backs. 🙂 Some day those kids will be teachers and people will flock to them to learn. niio
There is a world of knowledge and stored up wisdom in the Native gardener. They know the climate and land where they are. They worked with what they had to feed their family until the next harvest time.
The hunter gather also had to live in tune to the land. Moving with seasons or game they never over harvested leaves, root, berries, or game. Always leave plenty so it can regrow.
Learn to use what is in your area abundantly. That applied if it was a craft, a survival item, or food.
ClergyLady: On the hunter-gatherer, they were semi-nomadic and even after we got the horse, remained so. Women planted their gardens and if they had to move, the gardens would still be producing when they returned after a few years. this works best with crops that are still closely related to wild stocks, like potatoes, sweet potatoes (here, anyway), chiltepin peppers and so on. A lot of people carried fruit tree seeds and planted them, as well. Everything, always, look unto the 7th generation and the people thrived. niio
red- here it is the opposite. One man told me Johnny Appleseed was an eco-terrorist because he planted non-native plants here in Washington. Sigh.
Gov: Look at it like this, some people need a laugh and there’s always a clown ready to help them.Just stay away from the climate change fanatics. Every summer they start on it, it snows where it shouldn’t, and in winter, global cooling makes polar ice caps start to melt…A wise man once said, for every fool, there’s a fist. then he made me a little wiser. niio
It is very discouraging living here in north Puget Sound area. I tried a book club at the library. The book was Rinker Buck’s story of duplicating the trip pioneers took in a covered wagon down the Oregon Trail. Knew it probably wasn’t going to work out when the lady with the pink vagina hat walked in. I made a remark about how helpful everyone was along the way. The woman next to me said, “Ah, but perhaps they wouldn’t have been so welcoming if he was a foreigner.” Or, there was the Fourth of July picnic. You’re right, red, can’t even talk about the weather. Mentioned what a mild winter we’d had and the man next to us says,”You realize global warming is real, don’t you?” The Trump yard sign that didn’t make it out into the yard after one was vandalized down the street. After a while you just give up, why we’re lighting out in 2021.
2021, freedom! niio
Gov: ClergyLady lives near the Big Rez. American Indians are the biggest gossips in the world. Go out twenty miles from nowhere, without a soul in sight and whisper a secret. Two hours later, Mohawks in New York want more news and a day later, people in Argentina are asking but what about the dog? A week later, the Yakut in Siberia send a rep to see if the story is true but the Eskimos beat them to it. A century from now, people will still talk about it like it happened yesterday.
but, if push comes to SHTF, her neighbors will be there armed and eager to help Ma. niio
Red. Had to laugh. So true. But most of my friends are Native. One lady from the big rez lived with me for several years after her husband abandoned the family while she was expecting, then her Hogan burned down and neither her family or his family would help them. I took her in when the baby was three weeks old. Delivered c section. None of them had eaten in days and the baby boy had had no milk in 2 days. Out of diapers. At her witts end she’d planned to just get on I-40 and turn right in front of a big rig. Instead with a surprised look as she parked, she ended up in my drivway 45 miles away.
About a year ago I began in earnest working on her and that son whose now just past 40 to start saving up food and some medical supplies in case they hit another really bad winter or something serious happened. Aim for months of food. Not days. Around Christmas time I gave them a 5 gal bucket of dry foods and canned meats and 20 lb each of rice and beans. Her son was already telling her the same thing. He was hiding little medical supplies in his bedroom already. So each week she started buying extras to set back out of sight. Son started repairing grandmothers old rootceller dug into the hillside.
She calls weekly to check on me. Stopped visiting after her brother and sister both cought the virus. He’s home from the hospital but his wife is still in the hospital. She’s not working much now so very little income and very dependant on their supplies at home. Way better of than most in the neighborhood and only I know.
In the village I live in the Spanish families I’ve known for over fourth years all know we just have social security same as their grandmothers. No idea I actually have anything. Their grandmas all have chickens and a few families have rabbits. Most families have a tractor or can use dads. Most grow some garden to get by. We live the same.
My neighbor on my land and his wife were teens when we moved here. He was my assistant pastor after my husband died. They had helped all they could during his last two years. He’s my other prepper. They don’t know what I have but last year began setting aside supplies and did quite well. When I bought 4 gal buckets at a bakery they bought stacks of them and filled them. They did great!
He is still in stores about once a week picking up wick for the grandbabies. Their last business kept when they lost their home and printing business 4 years ago is pottery greenware, paints, glazes, and firing. If I were gone they have no electricity or water. They would be out of business. Pottery on the Pueblo reservations here is still a popular item and necessary for ceremonial uses. I choose to keep the electric bill. And only rarely is it hard to cover. They had no income at the time. What they’ve managed since then isn’t big but it keeps an old vehicle on the road and the grandkids in nice used clothing. They have snap benefits since taking custody of the three younger grandbabies. That’s more food money per person than a lot of folks spend. Looks like wise use because I’m seeking buckets appearing in the area I let then use for storage. I call him neighbor but he’s more son than just a neighbor.
My third newer prepper helped build in the entryway and little pantry/ broom closet. He doesn’t know what’s in it. Or anywhere else. I kept encouraging them to be prepared for hard times. He’s an avid gardener. Grew up in Tucson with a dad who was a nurseryman and ran crews landscaping. Last year when stores were closing out seeds sales he bought up several racks of garden seed at 5 cents a packet. (I officiated their wedding a bit over a year ago.) His potatoes are up and growing great. Seeds are sprouting. Pictures are good for this time of year. They show up about every three weeks. They come to build or repair as I need. Sometime a whole day. Other times a few hours. I was his pastor the past 8 years and helped him get started in his own ministry. They were prepared and will do ok. No income and phone is off but they are ok. He uses WiFi at a library to communicate on messenger. I give them a simple meal and $40 gas money. Its a 200 mile round trip to be here. If he wasn’t driving an older prius hybrid car, $40 wouldn’t be near enough for the trip.
That’s my pack. And I do trust them. Outside of them Claude and Red on here are the only others who’d have an idea close to where I actually live. It would be a long drive for either one and they’d still have to fine this spot. I’d trust both to be more help than hindrance.
CledgyLady. Yup, we could find your place, and then have to deal with that shotgun 🙂
Just the same, I like the underground rabbitry. It’s a lot harder for coyotes, 4 or 2 legs, to catch one. and, does have no angst about biting off fingers of strangers trying to nab a kit.
Chickens, I had to keep mine in a yard, and lost hens every year. One sister let hers roost in pine trees. she never lost one! And, she had the same problems as I did, a lot of stray dogs, cats, and coyotes around. come dawn, she went out with a bucket of hot mash and they came running into the coop. At noon, she opened the gate so they could forage.I hand-picked her rooster from a bunch of straight-run. As the aggressive ones showed up, they went in the stewpot, and she didn’t have problems with him tho her kids were small and they gathered the eggs. Mine was a very aggressive Moyer-Sal (they have Jersey Giant in them) and he killed a lot of hungry cats, chased off hawks and dogs.And I still lost hens. We had a few acres left of the market garden, so the chickens were usually in the yard. Rabbit hutches were heavy duty welded wire, till a bear tried to get in. After that, the rabbits were more or less on their own, putting the does in a coop for winter with bales of hay.
niio!
Sounds like you are in very good hands. Sorry for doubting. Enjoyed red’s explanation. lol