Local Stats

[LadyLocust]

So in effort to try and help all of us, I had this idea. There have been a couple things around here that I wonder if folks realize across the country. I'd hope it would not turn into a rant thread or a shortages thread, but if there is something helpful to all that's happening in your area, or if you can't find a certain thing but have discovered something else that works, or if you figure out a good source for an item, etc. It would be nice if we could share &/or just give a heads up to others.
I will share a couple to get the ball rolling.

 

[LadyLocust]

Onions are being harvested and it is a pretty good crop around here this year. I know they last a long time and ship well, might be a good time to look for onions.
Wheat is late this year. It is almost ready and we have a hot week ahead so my prediction is it will begin next week (that's 2 weeks late!) Watch for wheat stores to increase within the next 1-3 months. Source it now.
I stopped in at the butcher in hopes of making an appointment for late fall for a hog. Last year, she said it's better to get the spot and cancel otherwise they can't do it if they are too full. The soonest appt. is second to third week of January. She said they have never been this booked this full this far in advance. If you use butcher services, might give them a call.

 

[Amish Heart]

Wheat harvest here is pretty much finished. Corn and soybeans are in the fields now, but most all of it is feed corn. Not ready yet. Some milo in the ground, too, but more soybean.
Alfalfa in our field has been cut twice, looks good this year.
My favorite cousin's son in law goes to the cow auction each Tuesday and helps work it. He sold a number of cows and brought home a number of calves. It was well attended today.
We will be getting a half a cow again this year, but in late fall. We use a private, unlicensed Amish butcher. We pay the butcher, cousin provides the cow, and he gets the other half.

 

[Weedygarden]

Onions are being harvested and it is a pretty good crop around here this year. I know they last a long time and ship well, might be a good time to look for onions.
Wheat is late this year. It is almost ready and we have a hot week ahead so my prediction is it will begin next week (that's 2 weeks late!) Watch for wheat stores to increase within the next 1-3 months. Source it now.
I stopped in at the butcher in hopes of making an appointment for late fall for a hog. Last year, she said it's better to get the spot and cancel otherwise they can't do it if they are too full. The soonest appt. is second to third week of January. She said they have never been this booked this full this far in advance. If you use butcher services, might give them a call.

Thank you!
We are seeing lots of things that are pointing to tough times ahead. We all need to be paying attention and preparing even more now. Those who snooze will lose!

 

[Curmudgeon]

Onions are being harvested and it is a pretty good crop around here this year. I know they last a long time and ship well, might be a good time to look for onions.

That's good, we eat a lot of onions. Usually 2 - 5lb bags per month of Vidalias, and some red onion mixed in for salads and other things. Onions are good for lowering your glucose levels as well as lowering bad cholesterol and boosting the good. Plus they are delicious, lol.

 

[Spikedriver]

In most of Iowa, the corn crop looks to be huge this year. So far conditions have been excellent. There have been a few severe weather events that destroyed some fields but that's very localized and won't have any real impact on overall yield. But it's still only mid July and if it turns off dry for the rest of the season there could be trouble for corn prices which would keep trickling out for the rest of the economy...

Keep a sharp eye on LP gas. Farmers use millions of gallons to dry their corn after harvest. LP is already a bit short and expensive and if it's a wet fall, ag demand will go through the roof...

 

[Bacpacker]

We eat lots of onions. I harvested my early ones already, will do us till Thanksgiving or Christmas. Late onions won't be ready for a couple months yet. That'll take us into next spring.
Wheat is done around here already, and it is small scale. Corn won't be ready for a while. Soybeans in October.
Spike has a great point on LP. In need to get all my tanks topped off.

 

[goshengirl]

...there could be trouble for corn prices which would keep trickling out for the rest of the economy...

Something I've noticed here is that a lot of fields that were on corn rotation this year did poorly and were replanted to beans. Very few fields planted to corn. Some fields not planted at all. Might just be my part of the state, might be a bigger area - dunno. But I'm not seeing the quantity I'm used to.

 

[Spikedriver]

Something I've noticed here is that a lot of fields that were on corn rotation this year did poorly and were replanted to beans. Very few fields planted to corn. Some fields not planted at all. Might just be my part of the state, might be a bigger area - dunno. But I'm not seeing the quantity I'm used to.

What area is that?

 

[goshengirl]

SW Ohio - several counties outside of Cincinnati in general, Clermont, Brown, and Highland specifically.

 

[backlash]

A couple of YouTube farming channels I follow didn't get their corn planted because of wet ground.
Larson Farms had already committed to planting eatable beans but they wanted more corn.
They said they had to plant corn before a certain date or their crop insurance was no good.

 

[LadyLocust]

The funniest thing: I had to go to Wmart this morning (yuk!) They had corn 42c. an ear. Last year it was 2 for $1 so it's actually cheaper right now. Strange since I keep hearing how corn crops are failing in much of the US. I will say, they grow quite a bit of corn within an hour or so of here so maybe there's a local advantage going on???
(Needless to say, now I need to go shuck and can my corn.)

 

[txcatlady]

Friend is planning to combine his corn next week. For feeding his cattle and grinding into corn meal. His grist mill can grind 100 pounds a day. I have offered to buy some. It is the best

 

[LadyLocust]

So this one, we order from a vendor but thought it might be helpful for everyone. We are ordering some extra drill & taps and drill bits. We were "mostly okay" with what we ordered but with one size that we wanted 5 of, they only have 2 in stock. They offered to put 3 on back order. No telling how long back order would be. Might go through your drill sets and see if common sizes are needed and get them now. This will help us better maintain what we have.

 

[Spikedriver]

Friend is planning to combine his corn next week. For feeding his cattle and grinding into corn meal. His grist mill can grind 100 pounds a day. I have offered to buy some. It is the best

Where is he at, that he has corn ready to go?

 

[Spikedriver]

The funniest thing: I had to go to Wmart this morning (yuk!) They had corn 42c. an ear. Last year it was 2 for $1 so it's actually cheaper right now. Strange since I keep hearing how corn crops are failing in much of the US. I will say, they grow quite a bit of corn within an hour or so of here so maybe there's a local advantage going on???
(Needless to say, now I need to go shuck and can my corn.)

Sweet corn and field corn are two very different things. Very little of the corn grown in the U.S. is suitable for eating. It's for animal feed and ethanol production. I mean, you  could eat it, but it wouldnt be very good. Personally, i live in the epicenter of corn production for the U.S. and I don't know a single farmer that grows food grade corn. There's no money in it.

As far as crop failures go, it's something to keep an eye on but things look really good right now across Iowa and Eastern Nebraska. It could still turn off hot and dry and the crop could get roasted but if things keep up like they have been, we might have record crops around here.

 

[Bacpacker]

Sweet corn and field corn are two very different things. Very little of the corn grown in the U.S. is suitable for eating. It's for animal feed and ethanol production. I mean, you  could eat it, but it wouldnt be very good. Personally, i live in the epicenter of corn production for the U.S. and I don't know a single farmer that grows food grade corn. There's no money in it.

As far as crop failures go, it's something to keep an eye on but things look really good right now across Iowa and Eastern Nebraska. It could still turn off hot and dry and the crop could get roasted but if things keep up like they have been, we might have record crops around here.

I'm glad to hear that Spike. Many other areas are gonna be sparse this year, which is probably typical in any given year

 

[LadyLocust]

Sweet corn and field corn are two very different things. Very little of the corn grown in the U.S. is suitable for eating. It's for animal feed and ethanol production. I mean, you  could eat it, but it wouldnt be very good. Personally, i live in the epicenter of corn production for the U.S. and I don't know a single farmer that grows food grade corn. There's no money in it.

As far as crop failures go, it's something to keep an eye on but things look really good right now across Iowa and Eastern Nebraska. It could still turn off hot and dry and the crop could get roasted but if things keep up like they have been, we might have record crops around here.

We have similar w/ peas out here though both feed peas and eating peas are grown. It's not quite so one sided.

 

[LadyLocust]

Strange: I mentioned that Wmart has piles of corn 42c. ea. (cheaper than last year.) Hubby just returned from measuring up a job and stopped at the little family fruit/veg stand that's open every year. They are limiting corn to 6 per customer because they can't get it

 

[backlash]

Our local produce stand is usually open by June 30th. This year they are opening by July 29th.
They usually have corn by the 4th of July and it starts out at 4 for $1 then in September they have their big sale and it is 12 for $1. Probably not going to be that cheap this year.
I like their water melon then sale any water melon for $2. Again probably not this year.
We went to a different produce stand last month and corn was 89 cents an ear, their asparagus was $2 a pound and apricots were $4 a pound.
No apricot pineapple freezer jam this year.

 

[LadyLocust]

Our local produce stand is usually open by June 30th. This year they are opening by July 29th.
They usually have corn by the 4th of July and it starts out at 4 for $1 then in September they have their big sale and it is 12 for $1. Probably not going to be that cheap this year.
I like their water melon then sale any water melon for $2. Again probably not this year.
We went to a different produce stand last month and corn was 89 cents an ear, their asparagus was $2 a pound and apricots were $4 a pound.
No apricot pineapple freezer jam this year.

I get one watermelon a year (Hubby doesn't care for it). I just paid $9 for it! I almost didn't, but am sharing so looked at it as a kind treat.