Food pricing still high

[EasyMoney00]

My farm fresh eggs are coming from an individual that raises chickens.
Hard to beat fresh eggs. The yolks are so much darker yellow/orange, better flavor as well. Occasionally get a double yolk.

Some store bough eggs can be months old.

Talk about expensive eggs. I have a coworker who has chickens. After the chicken house he built and the food they use to feed them everyday, his eggs are probably $2/each. And...they're no longer laying eggs right now.

I do like the color of farm fresh eggs, but I've never noticed a change in taste. I want to, because every time I eat them I tell myself they're better for me...but it always falls flat.

I eat pretty many eggs. Around 7 a day. I buy the 7.5 dozen box at sams. Last week it was $25. A month ago they were $18 for 7.5 dozen. Still cheap imo.

[Like2Plan]

I was surprised that my sister (who lives in the PNW) was having trouble finding eggs at the store during this past Christmas season. She said it was because of bird flu that resulted in culling of chickens.
I was oblivious because we rarely buy eggs (maybe a dozen every couple of months).

I found this article regarding the bird flu, prices of eggs and the resulting change to the pricing structure in the grocery stores.

https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/finance/why-are-eggs-so-expensive

[myrdale]

Talk about expensive eggs. I have a coworker who has chickens. After the chicken house he built and the food they use to feed them everyday, his eggs are probably $2/each.

We laugh anytime we drive by Tractor Supply or some similar place and see chicken coops for sale at +$1,000.

Our chickens roamed over maybe five acres around the house, roosted in a tree, and when you wanted eggs you'd have to search the barn, tractor shed, the wood pile and anywhere else they could find to lay. We never fed them and they stayed fat from all the bugs or grain they'd forage.

Even if you didn't have 100 acres for them to roam, I have to believe you could build a decent coop for less than $100. My sister built theirs with scrap lumber and it looks great.

[disneysteve]

At Wegmans (our main supermarket) it's $4.49 for 12 and $6.73 for 18. Even the fancy shmancy organic cage free pasture raised eggs aren't $7.99.

I just bought a dozen. They’re actually $3.49.

[Fishindude77]

Talk about expensive eggs. I have a coworker who has chickens. After the chicken house he built and the food they use to feed them everyday, his eggs are probably $2/each. And...they're no longer laying eggs right now.

Yea, you could say the same about a lot of things. Gardening for example .... For the amount of time, effort, tools, seed, etc. required I'm sure you could buy your produce cheaper at the market.
However, there is a certain satisfaction in doing your own thing, and the quality & taste is generally better.

[ua_guy]

It's funny/sad when I see neighborhood posts about "Another cat/coyote/bear ate my chickens again!". They opened a KFC in their backyard for wild animals and are totally blindsided...

[disneysteve]

Yea, you could say the same about a lot of things. Gardening for example .... For the amount of time, effort, tools, seed, etc. required I'm sure you could buy your produce cheaper at the market.
However, there is a certain satisfaction in doing your own thing, and the quality & taste is generally better.

There’s a joke in the crafting community. Doesn’t matter what the craft is.

Buy one ready made for $10.99 or make one yourself for $75.00.

[EasyMoney00]

Yea, you could say the same about a lot of things. Gardening for example .... For the amount of time, effort, tools, seed, etc. required I'm sure you could buy your produce cheaper at the market.
However, there is a certain satisfaction in doing your own thing, and the quality & taste is generally better.

Oh I agree. Most things are just a labor of love.

Tomatoes are superior out of a local garden. They're a good bang for your buck. Herbs are also a safe bet. Cheap to buy the plant and usually produce all summer. We only grow basil and dill. We get the plants from a local Mennonite run green house. They're around $1.50/each.

[disneysteve]

Oh I agree. Most things are just a labor of love.

Tomatoes are superior out of a local garden. They're a good bang for your buck. Herbs are also a safe bet. Cheap to buy the plant and usually produce all summer. We only grow basil and dill. We get the plants from a local Mennonite run green house. They're around $1.50/each.

We grew herbs last season. Basil, which we used regularly. Mint, which we used for cocktails and iced tea. Cilantro, which is actually quite difficult to grow and we didn’t use enough of it to be worth the effort. And rosemary, which we used regularly. Next time around we’ll skip the cilantro.

[EasyMoney00]

We grew herbs last season. Basil, which we used regularly. Mint, which we used for cocktails and iced tea. Cilantro, which is actually quite difficult to grow and we didn’t use enough of it to be worth the effort. And rosemary, which we used regularly. Next time around we’ll skip the cilantro.

I forgot about the mint. We grow that too for simple syrup. Mint can get out of hand real quick, unless it's in a pot. Spreads fast.

We used to keep things in pots but it limits how big herbs can get. Now that we plant in the ground, huge difference.

[disneysteve]

We used to keep things in pots but it limits how big herbs can get. Now that we plant in the ground, huge difference.

We also used pots. If we planted in the ground, which we've tried in the past, the animals destroy it all within a day or two. Plus, it's much easier to care for the elevated pots. We have them on the patio right outside the kitchen sliding door. Easy to just step out and clip some basil while the pizza is in the oven or grab some rosemary while seasoning the chicken.

[Fishindude77]

I've tried garden plants in pots and wasn't very successful. Pots and other such small containers dry out real quickly, so if you forget a hot day or two of watering it really stresses and / or kills the plants.
Putting them in the ground or in a raised bed with a large mass of earth holds moisture much better.

Our garden has a 6' deer fence around it. It's pretty necessary if you want to get a decent harvest.
Planted an acre or more of pumpkins last year and fenced it also. All part of the work that comes with growing things.

[james.hendrickson]

I've tried garden plants in pots and wasn't very successful. Pots and other such small containers dry out real quickly, so if you forget a hot day or two of watering it really stresses and / or kills the plants.
Putting them in the ground or in a raised bed with a large mass of earth holds moisture much better.

Our garden has a 6' deer fence around it. It's pretty necessary if you want to get a decent harvest.
Planted an acre or more of pumpkins last year and fenced it also. All part of the work that comes with growing things.

Can you hunt the deer? Is that legal where you are?

[disneysteve]

I've tried garden plants in pots and wasn't very successful. Pots and other such small containers dry out real quickly, so if you forget a hot day or two of watering it really stresses and / or kills the plants.
Putting them in the ground or in a raised bed with a large mass of earth holds moisture much better.

Our garden has a 6' deer fence around it. It's pretty necessary if you want to get a decent harvest.
Planted an acre or more of pumpkins last year and fenced it also. All part of the work that comes with growing things.

The fence would keep out the deer, but we also need to keep out the squirrels, possums, raccoons, foxes, chipmunks (who burrow underground), groundhogs, etc. I was skeptical if the raised pots would survive but they did okay. Maybe the critters just don't like herbs.

[ua_guy]

My folks have a garden. It gives them something to do. I don't think they realize any cost savings by having one, certainly not by the time they spend on it. All the raised beds and boxes and fences and watering and anti-deer technology, and the slugs, snails, and other critters they have to deal with....is grocery-store lettuce really that bad? They give me some of their bounty, and the stories are pure entertainment for me...