Inflation Watch Thread - Holy Guacamole

[BIG_DADDY]

I guess some of that liquidity is hitting the system now. Just went grocery shopping and stopped at the Fish Market. After that I went to Target to pick up a foam roller. $3 avocado, really? $43 a pound for King Crab up $5lb. in just the last week. $30.76 a pound for Halibut. Target had a foam roller for $26.95 plus tax for a piece of friggen foam. Hello Amazon. Went to SF the other day and got two martini’s. The damage, $30 plus tax and tip and some other fee they hitting customers up for these days to pay for their employees health care, all for a couple splashes of vodka. The black market is really going to start flourishing. I already source and buy all of my food directly in Southern Oregon and bring it back down with me. It’s all cash only, even the butcher. I would like to have those kinds of contacts here but it is a lot harder. Southern Oregon is a unique place. So what’s it like where you live and where are you seeing inflation and how are you dealing with it? Unfortunately I think this is just the very beginning especially when it comes to quality food.

[Ace Gunner]

Originally Posted by Donger

It was in one of the pot legalization threads recently.

So, no link?

[Donger]

Originally Posted by chiefsfootballfan

So, no link?

Sure, and some math:

http://www.biorefinery.uga.edu/docs/algae_sunbelt50.pdf

We have ~2 billion acres of usuable land.

We consume ~7 billion barrels (294 billion gallons) of oil per year.

If hemp only produces 39 gallons/acre/year * 2 billion = 78 billion gallons.

[Mr. Laz]

ethanol and sugar are bullshit

it's robbing Peter to pay Paul and has just been a farm subsidy. Not that a subsidy is a bad thing, but it has very little to do with a real energy solution.

We should be in a full conversion to hydrogen by now imo.

Hydrogen is a energy 'carrier' so it allows for all sort of energy sources.


Oil/energy companies have been bribing the government to not change from oil for years.


corruption at the highest levels

[WV]

Not that its going to happen, but I wish the government would get their nose out of it and remove ethanol totally. And for no other reason personally than it kills my gas mileage.

[tooge]

I was at Price Chopper yesterday and they had their huge meat sale. I got kc strips for $4.98 per lb, and Swai that I use for ceviche and fish tacos for $2.98 /lb. Not too shabby.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by Laz

ethanol and sugar are bullshit

it's robbing Peter to pay Paul and has just been a farm subsidy. Not that a subsidy is a bad thing, but it has very little to do with a real energy solution.

We should be in a full conversion to hydrogen by now imo.

Hydrogen is a energy 'carrier' so it allows for all sort of energy sources.


Oil/energy companies have been bribing the government to not change from oil for years.


corruption at the highest levels

Conspiracy nonsense aside, hydrogen hasn't made much progress because petroleum is still by far the most cost-efficient method of powering our vehicles. If and when that changes, I assure you that the energy companies will be all over it.

[2bikemike]

Originally Posted by Superfly Jimmy Snuka

You can get like 4 harvests per year from it and take care alot of the energy needs of America....

They could even make it where you would have to smoke a lb of it to get a buzz if they wanted.

Actually Industrial Hemp is already that way. The THC content is a fraction of what it is in Marijuana. It really is kind of silly the way our Govt. regulates the stuff.

[Bwana]

Here is a decent read on the subject:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/26/bu...ught.html?_r=1

[Iowanian]

You won't want to price pork or beef next summer.....

They're dropping now because so many farmers have their fields burned up by drought, no hay, reduced availability of distillers grains because ethynol production is slowing due to corn/bean prices and availability....temp drop in beef prices.


With the high corn prices($8/bu) lack of hay pushing those prices up, skyrocketing land prices.....It's going to be expensive to produce fat cattle and hogs. We're going to pay for it.

The only good thing for me is, the drought has people liquidating some cattle and they're getting cheaper, so I'm buying some fat calves, putting them on my land with my hay, and getting some corn through a relative, so we'll be good on that front.

[mikeyis4dcats.]

Originally Posted by 2bikemike

Actually Industrial Hemp is already that way. The THC content is a fraction of what it is in Marijuana. It really is kind of silly the way our Govt. regulates the stuff.

I've always assumed much of the reason is that it is impossible to differentiate between the 2 crops. How do you allow free farming of industrial hemp and make sure drug crop isn't mixed in?

[R8RFAN]

Originally Posted by 2bikemike

Actually Industrial Hemp is already that way. The THC content is a fraction of what it is in Marijuana. It really is kind of silly the way our Govt. regulates the stuff.

Yes it is, I don't smoke but Hemp and Hemp oil could probably do alot of good in this country for more things also like paper and rope, The shit will grow almost anywhere and it has hardly any special needs to grow... I don't even think they have to spray it to keep it growing but I may be wrong.

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by HonestChieffan

No argument on that. Be aware however it likely would make a small dent in corn price if they suspended the regs requiring ethanol. Reason is 1) world stocks of corn inventory will likely be at all time lows. Short supplies drive the price more than anything.

Secondly when a bushel of corn is used to make ethanol, the corn that is left is now fed to cattle as a feed ingredient. So its not a direct loss to feed industry, it just gets used in a different way. Keep in mind cattle production cost is impacted by corn price hut it is a low % of total cost when you understand they are on grass only for most of the time and even in feedlot they are fed massive amounts of hay in addition to the corn that is fed.


That said, there are few supporters anywhere to keep forcing the ethanol use even in the ag community. The gas sucks, farmers and ranchers have the same opinion of the sucko gas and we have all spent way more than we will ever know on engine repairs on everything from chain saws to water pumps to weedeaters and more. But the bottom line will be if we did away with ethanol, how many additional barrels of oil will we need and what are the economics of that? And if we did do away with the ethanol requirement it would likely not impact gas prices much at all.

Great post. It bears repeating. High corn prices only affect the profitability of feedlots. It has nothing to do with meat prices. Feed lot sales are subject the market that doesn't give a **** if the feedlot man makes any money.

Originally Posted by chiefsfootballfan

Is corn the best source for ethanol?

Corn is better used for re-fueling people and animals than cars and trucks, according to Greg Stephanopoulos, W.H. Dow Professor of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology. “Corn’s production is energy-intensive and its conversion to biofuels is inefficient,” he said. “Cellulosic biomass feedstocks are better renewable resources for biofuels.”

In the United States, some states now require gasoline to be blended with up to 10 percent ethanol. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 will require fuel producers to use at least 36 billion gallons of biofuels by 2022. Most of this increase is expected to be ethanol-produced right now through the fermentation of either starch-based food products such as corn kernels or sugar-based food products such as sugar cane.

Second-generation biofuels are made from a wider variety of nonfood sources, such as cellulose, algae and recovered waste products. Cellulosic ethanol produced from native prairie perennial switchgrass, plus agricultural forestry and municipal residues such as wood chips and paper sludge, has the greatest potential to become a viable primary transportation sector energy carrier, experts agree.

Among switchgrass’s benefits are essentially zero net emissions of greenhouse gases and improved fertility from the carbon that switchgrass replaces in the soil as it grows. In future scenarios, farmers could keep soil fertile for by rotating switchgrass with food crops. – Deborah Halber


http://engineering.mit.edu/live/news...ce-for-ethanol

_________________________________________________________


I'll add corn is perhaps the most soil - intensive crop farmers can grow.

The problem is the money has to be there. The corn belt grows corn because it can grow the **** out corn. It is absurd how much corn that part of the world can grow. The reason they grow corn is because it is absolutely the most profitable crop. If they were to grow Hard Red Winter Wheat like I do, they would absolutely embarrass my yields. But it makes WAAAAY more money for them to grow corn.

The other thing to consider is yield. Those bastards can grow 200 bushel corn without trying. I don't know anything about their capacity to grow switchgrass. It seems in my mind that the corn belt could produce more ethanol per tillable acre with corn than switchgrass. Unless the shit produces like 50 ton/ acre. Which won't happen. I'd be interested to see some numbers on it.

The other side of the equation is that they are going to have to sacrifice corn acres to plant switchgrass. The reduced acres produces less bushels. Drives the price up.

The reality is that switchgrass has to make more money than another crop of corn or beans. And it doesn't. Or they'd do it.

On an unrelated note, they are trying to build a cellulosic ethanol plant in Hugoton KS and they want us all to bail up our crop residue and ship it there. But in this part of the world, the crop residue is worth way more than they could ever afford to pay.

Originally Posted by Donger

Unfortunately, sugar cane doesn't tend to grow very well in the contiguous USA, as I understand it.

They were talking about switchgrass not cane. Cane is a lot more efficient though.

Originally Posted by Superfly Jimmy Snuka

You can get like 4 harvests per year from it and take care alot of the energy needs of America....

They could even make it where you would have to smoke a lb of it to get a buzz if they wanted.

Again, if it makes more money than corn, farmers will jump all the hell over it.

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by Laz

so where can you buy the side of beef without so many 'middle men' to save money.

son of the guy next door used to have cattle but he doesn't anymore.

Thread took a left turn over the last page, but my butcher just gets a cow from the feedlot.

If you can't find one, I'm sure you could get it done out here. It might be worth the drive. I know nothing about the meat market in KC. But definitely talk to your butcher and figure out where it comes from.

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by Buehler445

Great post. It bears repeating. High corn prices only affect the profitability of feedlots. It has nothing to do with meat prices. Feed lot sales are subject the market that doesn't give a **** if the feedlot man makes any money.



The problem is the money has to be there. The corn belt grows corn because it can grow the **** out corn. It is absurd how much corn that part of the world can grow. The reason they grow corn is because it is absolutely the most profitable crop. If they were to grow Hard Red Winter Wheat like I do, they would absolutely embarrass my yields. But it makes WAAAAY more money for them to grow corn.

The other thing to consider is yield. Those bastards can grow 200 bushel corn without trying. I don't know anything about their capacity to grow switchgrass. It seems in my mind that the corn belt could produce more ethanol per tillable acre with corn than switchgrass. Unless the shit produces like 50 ton/ acre. Which won't happen. I'd be interested to see some numbers on it.

The other side of the equation is that they are going to have to sacrifice corn acres to plant switchgrass. The reduced acres produces less bushels. Drives the price up.

The reality is that switchgrass has to make more money than another crop of corn or beans. And it doesn't. Or they'd do it.

On an unrelated note, they are trying to build a cellulosic ethanol plant in Hugoton KS and they want us all to bail up our crop residue and ship it there. But in this part of the world, the crop residue is worth way more than they could ever afford to pay.



They were talking about switchgrass not cane. Cane is a lot more efficient though.



Again, if it makes more money than corn, farmers will jump all the hell over it.

The other thing I forgot to mention was that they don't have a yeast blend that works for cellulose. But that is coffee shop talk. I haven't heard anything about that officially.

[ghak99]

Originally Posted by mikeyis4dcats.

I've always assumed much of the reason is that it is impossible to differentiate between the 2 crops. How do you allow free farming of industrial hemp and make sure drug crop isn't mixed in?

This was an issue. My neighbor grew several acres of industrial hemp about a decade ago. He basically did it for the hell of it but he always said... "If the dumb ****s would just leave me alone I think this crop has the potential to be a money maker". He rolled it up, , and shipped out round bales to a company making rope and running cellulous tests on the side as a research project. I seem to remember him planting one variety specifically for rope and another was for their testing. He finally got tired of the hassle and quit messing with it.