Well, I mis-spoke on my post about grocery prices increasing up to 20%...food prices will go up approximately 3 to 5 percent in 2011 according to the USDA.
BUT: If farm fuel costs increase up to 20% to 40% (I figure if I'm paying $3.50 a gallon for fuel and it's projected to hit $5.00 a gallon that's an increase of 42.8%...am I right on that?) I think we better hope the increase is ONLY 3 to 5 percent.
So...I'm doubling the size of garden...staking it out today...making long raised beds this time from timber...filling them up with mushroom compost and planting feed crops for the animals: mangles, grains, milo and forage turnips. The old garden feeds all of us pretty well and a couple of my kids have their own gardens and fruit orchards so we're ok there. I will add more potato beds, put in more storage onions and I'll put in tomatoes...even tho I swore I wasn't growing tomatoes this year: Sam's growing acres of processing tomatoes...but I'm a worrier...so I'm covering my bases. I want to strongly urge everyone to plan on saving this year's seeds...make it a priority...the price of seed will defiantly be going up!
7 comments:
I loved your post! I quoted it in The Journey Forums
You are wise to add more garden space. And the USDA probably under estimated food prices .. not even projecting such a big jump in the fuel .. I think it's their way of denial or just not wanting to panic the public. I have raised beds on my list too .. but will have to wait for all the snow to melt.
Very well stated, Lynda. I saw gas had gone up to over $3.00 in town yesterday. I rarely buy gas, so it was a shock.
I am quadrupling my garden this year...we simply did not grow enough...I am also reading 4 season gardening in order to get as much as possible in! good luck.
I am with you, I will planting a huge garden this year, all I can take care of.
My seeds you sent came today! The post office had repackaged them as they had ripped your original envelope open ugggg.. but the celeriac and the mystery squash seeds did arrive!! Thanks so much girly. I have been just itching to try that Celeriac.. and how fun to see what squash I will get!
I have that very seed saving book you have on your post.
I had to go for a MRI today so on my way back from the big city I stopped looking for fruit trees... boy sad pickings so far on fruit trees ... more will be out I am sure. We are looking to put in several fruit trees this year.
You may not be as far off as you think. I've heard others predict a much steeper increase in food prices. Then as you say, when fuel goes up it all snowballs. I agree, we should all plant bigger gardens!
I agree with Mrs Mac. How do you know what to believe? I should be doing the happy dance right now because supposedly the "recession" has been over for a year. Instead I'm listening to my gut, keeping my eyes open and expanding my garden too.
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