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Post by Latitude33 on Oct 25, 2021 13:30:00 GMT -5
Curious if anybody here has been following in detail stories/items citing an impending shortage of food later this year and into 2022? Sorry, I have been out of touch regarding news for a couple months. I had already planned on expanding my planting spaces moving forward, but not due to fear of shortages. Is this potentially due to transportation issues? Lack of availability? Import impasse or a combination of factors? Is anyone here expanding their gardens to compensate?
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Post by martywny on Oct 25, 2021 14:46:24 GMT -5
Is anyone here expanding their gardens to compensate? I am expanding my garden in part because I have absolutely no confidence in the ability of our government to do anything intelligent to secure our food sources. The more predominant reasons are that I am unsure of the quality of food produced by someone who is not me and now that I am retired, I have much more time to devote to production and processing. I've always canned, started dehydrating two years ago, and just bought a freeze dryer.
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Post by breezygardener on Oct 25, 2021 16:09:05 GMT -5
Well, at least fresh broccoli was back in stock after two weeks of not being able to find it anywhere (as in FOUR different grocery stores!!). I always like to have at least a couple of crowns in the fridge as a backup green veg. should I need one. They last well for around 3 weeks, & it's rare when I don't get to use them.
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Post by Wheelgarden on Oct 25, 2021 16:48:20 GMT -5
expanding their gardens to compensate Latitude33 and martywny I try to downsize, but I always seem to expand for those very reasons. Better safe...
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Post by datgirl on Oct 25, 2021 17:03:31 GMT -5
I couldn't find carrots or bananas over the weekend. I went to three stores. Second store had sad looking bananas and no carrots. Finally went to Aldi and found both. I would like to can and freeze more next year. Maybe if I retire, I'll have more time.
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Post by gardendmpls on Oct 25, 2021 17:46:18 GMT -5
Dang! Was going to plant less next year, as this year had an overwhelming amount of produce, even when giving a lot away. Was planning on less tomatoes and more flowers. Maybe I could grow the same as now and then sell the surplus.
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Post by emmsmommy on Oct 25, 2021 18:20:36 GMT -5
I'm planning to expand but not due to shortages. I think I can expand our food growing capacity enough to cut the grocery budget by at least 1/3. Today I shelled out three varieties of bean for seed. One of those is a family heirloom that's only available from a small herb business that my mom gave a handful of seeds. It's one of our favorites and I would like to plant much more next year as well as have some to share. I have a handful of seed from another heirloom that was a bit of a failure this year but at least I have three times as much seed as I started with. The other varieties are available through seed vendors but why pay $2-3 for a pack of seed when I can save my own at no cost except my time. I figure that for each pack of seed that I eliminate from my shopping list I can add another new-to-me variety or use the money to improve my garden. Plus there's always failures to be considered--last year the tomatoes did extremely well and the peppers did poorly. This year it was the exact opposite.
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Post by Wheelgarden on Oct 25, 2021 18:32:15 GMT -5
last year the tomatoes did extremely well and the peppers did poorly. This year it was the exact opposite. Same here. To the farmer/gardener's ancient bafflement since agriculture began.
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Post by binnylou on Oct 25, 2021 19:37:29 GMT -5
Nothing is promised when gardening. That’s what causes gardeners to keep over planting. It’s that insurance thing.
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Post by emmsmommy on Oct 25, 2021 19:46:36 GMT -5
Nothing is promised when gardening. That’s what causes gardeners to keep over planting. It’s that insurance thing. My grandma and great-grandma always used to say to be grateful for whatever you can harvest and be happy for any excess as we can never predict next year's harvest.
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Post by SpringRain🕊️ on Oct 25, 2021 20:43:19 GMT -5
I AM concerned about food, in part b/c of the problems with the supply lines, but also b/c the prices are already moving up at the stores. "Sale prices" are now higher than what basic prices used to be last year. I haven't seen any shortages thus far, but the year isn't over yet, and there's always 2022. I'm stocking up now on things that can't be grown, i.e., nonfood items. And I do plan to expand the garden next year, if I'm physically able to.
I do remember the gasoline crisis in the 1970s as well.
And perhaps another factor is the large number of Afghanis now living in the US; until they're settled in their own homes, there will be an increase in food that needs to be supplied to them.
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Post by gianna on Oct 25, 2021 21:11:11 GMT -5
I always grow too much. I haven't decided yet what to plant next year, but was going to grow more ornamentals - flowers, pumpkins, multicolored corn.
Eventually there will be serious food shortages. The world population is almost at 8,000,000,000 and growing - that's 8 Billion with a B - and we all have to eat. This coupled with climate change/disruption and we are in for some tough times.
In the 'olden days' (my youth) people used to say "Science will find a way" to feed everyone. Only people don't much like some of what they have come up with. Pesticides, herbicides, GMO organisms, massive animal farms, junk and fast foods, etc.
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Post by binnylou on Oct 25, 2021 22:22:45 GMT -5
gianna, if you are interested in multi colored corn, look at the selection offered by Baker Creek. They offer Strawberry popcorn. I only grew it one year, but the color of the small red ears is so delightful. I think the popping part wasn’t a great success for us, but the ears are very decorative. They’d be great for decorating a wreath or door arrangement. The subject is food shortages and I’m suggesting using it for decoration…🤭
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Post by desertwoman on Oct 25, 2021 22:42:53 GMT -5
I think it's a combination of factors Latitude33 , but, no, I'm not expanding my garden. I cut back a few years ago and unless/until it gets really harried I don't plan to add more. Most of my meals are simple and plant based and I am flexible and adaptable, so if there is not what I want at the grocery store, I buy something else. Or when I run out of what I froze- so be it. If I didn't have ghee or olive or avocado oiI then I would do without. I have herbs from my garden for flavor. I would really miss salt but I can eat salt free if I have to. I don't think I would go hungry- shortages or not. I just might not have my first choices. I grow dry beans , and as long as I can get some kind of grain including corn (I would be fine with whatever I could find) I will have a complete protein. Greens are easy to grow and don't take a lot of room and I freeze some and can keep them going in my small greenhouse in-ground bed. I always have garlic, tomatoes, and chiles from my garden so it adds at least a little more to the veggies on my plate; and there's fruit from our trees. I could also forage, more, for wild edibles.
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Post by martywny on Oct 26, 2021 4:49:26 GMT -5
I would like to plant much more next year as well as have some to share One thing about sharing is the more you give to others, the better chance you have of getting replacement seed should you have a problem with your own garden. I haven't started saving seeds yet, but when I finally find that perfect tomato that I've been searching for all my life - then I'll start for sure!
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