Boy, some prices have really gone up!

Rambler, links to your studies please.

As for the experts who talked about the ethanol and other biofuel production processes and outputs, they are the ones I am taking issue with. In their own presentations they did not take into account fossil fuel inputs in all their forms. They only talked about the volume of biofuel production, how much feedstock is needed to produce X number of gallons and how wonderful it will be to totally convert all vehicles over to run on 100 percent biofuels. They also left out the decreasing miles per gallon figure the higher the percentage of ethanol is used in an engine, which requires more ethanol to go the same number of miles gasoline will produce in the same vehicle.

Ethanol is less energetically dense than gasoline, compared gallon to gallon.

I also take issue with the experts' push to convert every type of plant matter into another possible fuel source. So right now we are going to have higher prices for corn. What happens when the biofuel plants will pay more for a bale of hay than the rancher or farmer? I bring this up because the experts who are talking with the county development group are talking about turning everything, including every bit of corn stover, stalk, chaff, and leaf from the field into feedstock. If these are your "honest, ethical" experts, I take all the more issue with their plans. These experts who I have heard in person say you can take everything out of the fields and turn it into fuel, just fertilze the ground more for the next round with petrochemical fertilizers and no harm done.

If these are the experts doing the "honest, ethical" studies you are talking about Rambler, then I find it hard to believe the talk about biofuels on a state and national level being ecologically sustainable.

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I would challenge anyone here to think of a question upon which we once had a scientific answer, however inadequate, but for which now the best answer is a religious one. – Sam Harris

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Just the other day I tried to tell some people about this rise in prices because of corn, and they laughed at me.

But it will be hurting everyone because corn it the largest product raised in the world.

When big companies decide to raise corn insted of soy beans then every thing with soy products will raise in prices from livestock feed to food on the table.

Everything will cost more and we will still have high prices fuel to buy.


bumpus
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corn production is increasing, but so is the demand to export it.

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That's what I'm figuring.

Bad for me because I'm not buying corn because I don't have a way of knowing if a given batch is GMO or not.

The good news is (I hope), I'm in hard red winter wheat growing country, and it appears the wheat will be a good harvest this year.

There is no GMO hard red winter wheat, so I'm hoping to get LOTS of it. I just hope it's not ridiculously expensive because of the corn situation.

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$4 - $5 for a gallon of milk? Wow, I had no idea. $1.99 - $2.19 is the prices I saw today in my area. Gas is up to $2.49 but I give up on figuring out what gives with that besides they throw darts or ask a monkey. Don't buy too much bulk grain products but now you have me curious as to the cost of bird seed. I'll find out soon enough.

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Beware of radical christians: http://listverse.com/2015/03/22/10-p...e-for-america/

If you read my first post, last sentence you will see that I am not whining, just observing. My observation is that whether it's for corn and to the farmers or as someone else related the price of drainage pipe, bottom line is it's going to take a lot more money to keep going in the coming years. No man is an island and no one is truly self sufficient especially in the capitalism at all costs mode we're in now.

I can shop and find milk at a better price at certain convenience stores, $2.50 to $2.99 gal. is a deal around here. It's just funny how the local name brand dairy's milk is sooo much higher, must be the advertising, it's surely not going to the farmer.

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"Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self confidence"
Robert Frost

I think this is an appropriate time for the person's quote that goes something like this:

Only when every tree is cut and every animal is dead, will we realize that we can not eat money.

Our economy is largely based on the shuffling around and consumption of resources, yes value is added and efficiencies are realized, but there is very little in the creation of "new" wealth or resources. Right now we are just raiding Earth's bounty of stored carbon and nitrogen built up over 6 billion years (in the form of oil, coal, fertilizers, topsoil, ect.) The only "new" resource is the energy we get from the sun everyday, and methods for "sustainable" consumption are simply different ways to try and capture this energy. One day, when all the oil, coal, and natural gas run out, we will be limited to only what we can harvest from the sun.

The fact is that many of our "biofuels" are simply plants that serve as little "solar panels" that capture solar energy. Unfortunatly many of these plants already serve other purposes, and when we increase the demand for them, we increase the price for everything else made from them. And increasing our land under cultivation comes at a price as well, we deplete the soil, destroy wildlife habitat, and destroy native species. These are all trade offs to consider when deciding to use any resource. What we should be doing is looking for what we think will be the most efficient way to harvest the sun's energy over the long term, and also the most efficient way to consume it.

Just my little rant, read some Lester Brown if this sounds interesting to you.

It does not make any difference where corn it is sold.

The factor is always the same in business.

Supply and demand and companies do not care where it is sold, or who buys it, as long as they make more profit.

If America is hungry and some one overseas is willing to pay more for what you eat and use, they will sell to the highest bidder even if you starve to death.

It makes no difference to them.

If you believe that farmers are in business to feed you you are sadly mistaken, they are in business to make profits and they do not care who buys.

And if you are left out they don't care.

Those are the cold hard facts ! ! !


bumpus
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No, I saw the milk at 4.99 a gallon last night..for the first time here. That really made me start looking at every item that I normally buy...nearly all were up and then not just by a few cents...but substantially. Then I read the news about the gas prices expected to go up on the average about 60 cents a gallon nationwide by the summer. I admit that I am becoming somewhat concerned... and then I will be going to the feed store this afternoon...

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Christanie Farm...living life as it was intended

I just paid over $11.00 for laying pellets here in Kentucky. Kate

I've heard that land prices in the corn belt are going up because of the corn prices and demand. Also makes you wonder about any gov't programs.

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"Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self confidence"
Robert Frost

Yesterday salid mix was two for six dollars .

What nutritionists?
Distillers grains have been in rations for years. Properly tested and placed in a balanced ration they have been a cost effective measure for many farmers.

"There is no inflation", or no significant inflation, according to government figures. Government officials wouldn't lie to us, would they?

According to non-government sources (and personal observation by many people -- those who buy groceries, fuel, medical care, etc) there is significant inflation. Any Internet inflation calculator will verify that the US dollar has lost 98% of its purchasing power in the last century -- much of that during the past few years.

Is it a case of prices going up or the value of our money going down? Can we expect more of the same -- or more rapid loss in the future? Is there anything we can do to protect our buying power?

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Whether you believe you can or you believe you cannot – you are usually right.

This does not include flying or moving mountains unassisted or attempting to prove the existence of an “afterlife”.