[Sca-cooks] Current farm prices and affects on feast budgeting

[Sharon Gordon]

Recently flour prices have tripled

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120295409138967129.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

 

This is likely to affect prices for the next 3-5 months  and then depending
on the how the weather goes for the 2008 spring wheat crop the prices may
drop again.

 

The increased prices are somewhat of a doubled edged sword in that they are
more fair to farmers in terms of the work they do to produce it.  On the
other hand cost of flour/wheat  for all sorts of baked goods or pasta  is
likely to have an impact on feast budgets. 

 

Other grain costs are rising in a similar manner.  Although some of them are
new world grains that wouldn't be used in period feasts, they may contribute
to increased costs of meat, poultry, dairy, or eggs due to being used as
feed.

The price of fuel oil increases the costs through running farm equipment,
transportation, and utility costs of market places.

 

Items that are higher (US) in January 2008 compared to January of 2997:

 

Chick Peas up 4%

Chicken up 12%

Eggs up 52%

Diary up 42%

Grains for food, overall up 72%

Grains for feed, up 38%

Lemons 219%

Lentils up 102%

Oats up 23%

Oil crops up 11%

Peas, dry up 114%  (UK had a very rough year for peas in 2007 as well)

Rice up 12%

 

In the good news department:

Fruit and nut prices overall  are about the same.

Onions down 83%

Oranges down 30%

Overall, vegetables are about 17% lower.

 

For more details see

http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/nass/AgriPric//2000s/2008/AgriPric-01-3
1-2008_revision.txt
<http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/nass/AgriPric/2000s/2008/AgriPric-01-3
1-2008_revision.txt> 

 

Anyone thinking about planting gardens to help offset increases for feasts?

 

Sharon

gordonse at one.net