Food - lockdowns are going to affect farmers if the lockdown continues

[GWS]

I just picked up 180# of ham, bacon, chops, etc. from our 300# pig that I bought locally for $180. With processing and curing that comes to about $3/lb. My half of a steer gets picked up next week for about $4/lb, cut and wrapped.

Dang, that's a lot of meat.
Do you have storage for all that meat at home or do you use a meat locker at your butcher's shop?

 

[ZigZagZeke]

Dang, that's a lot of meat.
Do have storage for all that meat at home or do you use a meat locker at your butcher's shop?

We have two large freezers in addition to the one in the kitchen.

 

[The Heretic]

I only have the one freezer in the shop. I have maybe 25-50# of meat in it, mostly chicken, some fish, some beef and pork. The rest is various other foods (milk, etc.).

 

[EHJ]

I only have the one freezer in the shop. I have maybe 25-50# of meat in it, mostly chicken, some fish, some beef and pork. The rest is various other foods (milk, etc.).

I just found out I can freeze milk.
Feel like a fool all this time. Lots of freezer space - lots of dry milk.... but never knew until this year just to empty a bit, re-cap and let it freeze and swell.

 

[ZigZagZeke]

I just found out I can freeze milk.
Feel like a fool all this time. Lots of freezer space - lots of dry milk.... but never knew until this year just to empty a bit, re-cap and let it freeze and swell.

My wife has been freeze drying goats milk. Ends up like powdered milk, but since it doesn't get cooked, when you add water to re-hydrate it you get fresh tasting milk. First you freeze the milk in shallow trays. Then you put it in the freeze dryer and the vacuum boils off the water vapor as the frozen milk melts.

 

[partsed]

I think sending in the national guard to help with food production is a good idea!

How about the criminals that are behind bars??

 

[The Heretic]

I just found out I can freeze milk.
Feel like a fool all this time. Lots of freezer space - lots of dry milk.... but never knew until this year just to empty a bit, re-cap and let it freeze and swell.

I just put the carton in the freezer unopened - then when I need it I take it out and set it on the counter. Usually takes about 8-10 hours before I can pour from it, depending on ambient temp. When lactose free milk is discounted, I usually buy more than I need and put it in the freezer.

I have about five large cans of Nido too, so I am good there.

Freezing cottage cheese, cheese, etc., doesn't work so well though - but those I don't need as badly as I do milk (which I only have for breakfast cereal and occasionally for baking).

 

[partsed]

Taco Bell Totally Unaffected By Meat Shortage

babylonbee.com

We have a salesman that went to Taco Bell and brought back his lunch. While walking thru the showroom I heard him grumbling and asked him what was wrong. He said that he ordered a couple of "crunch wrap supreme tacos" and when he started eating them he found that there was no meat in them. I looked him straight in the face and said "you must have ordered the vegetarian version" and walked away....

 

[ZigZagZeke]

For those of you who may be in the dark on how to buy local beef and how much it may cost you. We have been purchasing local beef for several years, Hope this helps you out.

Most farmers who have finished steers, which means slaughter size (1000-1500lbs) will offer different options. You can buy whole, half, quarter, some offer 1/8's.
From an article by Dale Sexton:

So I recently purchased 1/2 steer. He weighed 1400lbs live weight. I paid the farmer a premium price per lb. for my half of the steer and someone else local did the same for the other half. The farmer has a lot of time and feed invested in the steer. So a premium price is deserved, and you know what you have and where it came from. I paid $1.25/lb for the live weight. So half cost me $875.

The farmer then delivers the steer to the processor, where you get to choose your cuts and how you'd like your meat prepared for your portion. Then once your meat is ready, you pick it up from the processor and pay for your half of the processing fee. The fee is typically based on hanging weight of the beef. I paid $200 for my processing fee.

My half of the steer yielded 280lbs of finished, packaged meat.
$875 1/2 live weight
$200 processing
$1075/280lbs meat= $3.84/lb

Below is 2 T-bones from this steer. I'd consider these steaks to be a prime grade and they are as big as my head. Compared to a choice grade (which is below prime) for $14.99/lb from Local grocery markets
That's a huge difference for better quality meat.

A farmer can't go to a stockyard or send his cattle west for that type of premium price. It's a win win situation in my opinion. The farmer gets a premium price for his work, and you get a premium product for much less than you'd pay in the grocery. The best part is that the corrupt meat packing industry makes not a single dime off of this transaction, and it keeps your money local.

There are lots of farmers offering beef for sale. Just put the interest out there, and you'll find it.

This is a simple process that you'll be glad you did, if you never have. This is a great way to support local farmers and provide quality meat for your family. Hope this helps

Prices may vary based on markets and who/where you buy from.

 

[kmk1012]

Picked up a quarter beef last week (187.5 lbs) and get another half beef this week (345 lbs). The first was a little spendy at $4.09/lb but compared to store prices a bargain. The half was a real good deal at $3.09 per pound total. The freezer will be full! Getting ready to have my first filet minion this week!

 

[revjen45]

1) Love the Bee
Me too.
Did you ever notice that some advertisements in the Bee may be almost indistinguishable from the content?
I'll bet Snopes is fact-checking the hell out of that article.
Yeah, I bet the Bee drives them nuts! Libs aren't too big on satire if they are the butts of it and they are getting so absurd that you can't tell the satire from the "news."
IIRC, some time back the Chicoms got all exercised over something in the Lampoon. Seems they were unclear on the concepts of humor and satire.
2) Any Gardening tips anyone wants to share?
Tomatoes have to be protected from rain as they ripen. If they get rained on, it's blight time.
3) The ChicomVirus19 pandemic has demonstrated the fragility of the hyper-centralized JIT paradigm. Maybe a decentralized supply chain will evolve that's not so sensitive to disruption.

EBT card failure hit 17 states, people ready to riot as they ‘steal’ from Walmart

EBT, Electronic Benefits Transfer, cards stopped working over the weekend due to a power outage. The vendors would be unable to verify balances etc…making them vulnerable to food stamp fraud and abuse. People becamse violent, see some of the tweets below. Xerox, a vendor for the EBT system in...

www.theglobaldispatch.com

Like I said, glad we don't live in Seattle.

 

[The Heretic]

Coronavirus spreads among fruit and vegetable packers, worrying U.S. officials

From apple packing houses in Washington state to farm workers in Florida and a California county known as "the world's salad bowl," outbreaks of the novel coronavirus are emerging at U.S. fruit and vegetable farms and packing plants.

www.reuters.com

 

[csa_ap_hill]

I miss our old local meat and cold storage we had in town in the 70's We used to go to my grandads in the fall or winter and he'd butcher a pig and we'd get either a whole one or half, for a lot less than wholesale. Then take it home and take there and put the meat in our own locker.
Was cold to go in and usually took mom a long time to get what she wanted out when we needed but the store was cool.
Anyhow's I have now a small freezer that we use when I get a deer or something and or buy lots or meat, but not the same and boring lol. But...

 

[csa_ap_hill]

SNOPES:
I followed the money on them and all their partners and or advertising as they say is their financiers, and all are Atheist's. Per wiki and following who owns them and all yeah.
So yeah although some of what they say is fake is true but not all!

 

[The Heretic]

I miss our old local meat and cold storage we had in town in the 70's We used to go to my grandads in the fall or winter and he'd butcher a pig and we'd get either a whole one or half, for a lot less than wholesale. Then take it home and take there and put the meat in our own locker.
Was cold to go in and usually took mom a long time to get what she wanted out when we needed but the store was cool.
Anyhow's I have now a small freezer that we use when I get a deer or something and or buy lots or meat, but not the same and boring lol. But...

I remember going into the sub-zero cold storage place in Salem. Middle of July but you needed to wear a thick coat when you went in. Lot's of ice inside. Not sure any of those places exist anymore. There was one that burnt down in Salem - had sawdust in the walls for insulation.

 

[OldTengu]

I miss our old local meat and cold storage we had in town in the 70's We used to go to my grandads in the fall or winter and he'd butcher a pig and we'd get either a whole one or half, for a lot less than wholesale. Then take it home and take there and put the meat in our own locker.
Was cold to go in and usually took mom a long time to get what she wanted out when we needed but the store was cool.
Anyhow's I have now a small freezer that we use when I get a deer or something and or buy lots or meat, but not the same and boring lol. But...

Buddy of mine in clatskanie told me all the butchers in his area, mobile or otherwise are booked solid the rest of the year.

 

[csa_ap_hill]

Buddy of mine in clatskanie told me all the butchers in his area, mobile or otherwise are booked solid the rest of the year.

Yeah I'm sure, with all this stuff going on: coronavirus, and now protests still going on, who knows how long.

 

[crossbow5]

I remember going into the sub-zero cold storage place in Salem. Middle of July but you needed to wear a thick coat when you went in. Lot's of ice inside. Not sure any of those places exist anymore. There was one that burnt down in Salem - had sawdust in the walls for insulation.

I used to have a cold storage locker in West Slope, just off Canyon Road, off Sunset Hwy. I'm sure it is long gone now.

 

[Shotts4fun]

Grow your own! It is a lot of work but well with it.

Someday your life may depend on it. Heard that before eh?

 

[csa_ap_hill]

Wish I could but our small Trailer lot doesn't allow much space to grow much when we're crammed in here.
But me and the wife did grow some onions a couple of years ago and some corn but the corn never was any good. Onions wasn't too bad but...
LOL I tried to grow a pumpkin last year, stupid thing climbed the fence and started to grow a pumpkin in the tree rofl lmao I tried gently to take it down but
broke the vine too much so it never grew more than just a small 3in wide thing