# Milk prices



## emilysometimes (Oct 6, 2011)

I'm sure everyone has seen the stories saying that milk will be $8.00 a gallon if Congress doesn't pass the current Farm Bill. Well, I was just at Aldi and they've already got signs up in the dairy case saying they reserve the right to limit quantities purchased. Hunker down.


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## PackerBacker (Dec 13, 2012)

Dang.

Was it on butter and cheese too?

I planned on going to Aldis on monday and buying about $200 of each.

I don't think we will see dairy doubling in price. That said it's cheap right now and it will only go up in price for a number of reasons. I am not even sure if the farm bill will play a part.


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## Lake Windsong (Nov 27, 2009)

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but without a farm bill renewal, milk prices would be based on a formula from the 40's, and yes, prices would increase for all dairy products. My understanding is that as the price the government pays for milk increases based on that old piece of legislation, the market would follow.

As part of our normal preps, we have a good variety of dairy products stored, but on our last town trip, I restocked evaporated and condensed milk used through the holidays and some shelf stable cartons for an upcoming trip/possible power outages.

We use organic milk in a carton, so my price per gallon is already close to $8; a dairy price increase won't be a sticker shock for me as I choose to pay extra now for the brand I want.

Several factors will cause grocery prices to increase next year. A stocked pantry holds off the increase to your wallet, so you have a buffer of goods to use while waiting for better sale prices.


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## Tribal Warlord Thug (Jan 27, 2009)

we buy milk,butter and cheese in big quantities then freeze them.......the milk we usually freeze in half gallon containers and keep for 4-6 weeks after we purchase it.


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## PackerBacker (Dec 13, 2012)

Lake Windsong said:


> My understanding is that as the price the government pays for milk increases based on that old piece of legislation, the market would follow.


It's not the gov't paying for the milk.


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## bacpacker (Jul 15, 2011)

You are right on going back to the 40's for the price structure to be used. And it does cover ALL dairy products.


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## Hooch (Jul 22, 2011)

canning butter is real easy folks...i've done it a few times this year so far and used it too. 
I bought it on sale and went for it..so far it turned out great. There is a gal on youtube who does a canning butter vid. I used her method as she is a prepper and has lots of great canning ways...her name is BexarPrepper if anyone is interested. 

I've done her meatloaf canning too and tweaked it to my own awesome receipe. but anyways...it is really simple to do. I have a nice store of canned butter in half pint jars I throw in my countertop butter crock. So if the lights go out..no butter goes bad n wasted. 
butter crocks store butter without the fridge. I have it right on my counter and it is awesome too btw..


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## PackerBacker (Dec 13, 2012)

> Even if the 1949 pricing formula does take effect, it wouldn't be until late January when prices would start to climb because the industry has already priced most milk for January delivery


http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323300404578207841282461764.html

I don't believe for a minute that they won't halt this in short order.


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## jsriley5 (Sep 22, 2012)

MIght as well post the article direct as the link requires you to subscibe or sign in to the Wall Street Urinal to read anything. Most aren't gonna


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

We live about 4 to 5 miles away from a TDA(Texas Department of Agriculture) inspected raw goat milk dairy, milk cost $8.00 to regular customers and $10.00 to randomm buyers. Always thought that was expensive.

We may have to start going there for cheap milk.


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## PackerBacker (Dec 13, 2012)

jsriley5 said:


> MIght as well post the article direct as the link requires you to subscibe or sign in to the Wall Street Urinal to read anything. Most aren't gonna


Hmmm. I didn't have to login to read it the first time. 

Try this. 4th result down.

https://www.google.com/#hl=en&sugex...23ca7c4da5ccfb&bpcl=40096503&biw=1280&bih=909


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## Gians (Nov 8, 2012)

*rarely touch the stuff*

Remember the big cheese give away years back...Gov't buys up dairy products to help farmers out(official reason).


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## jsriley5 (Sep 22, 2012)

got there that time PB Another instance of the Govt should have stayed out of it in the first place. 

fiance has told me like four times int eh last three days "its time to get bessie" even after I pointed out how much doggon work it is gonna be to care for one. We won't until we get a place to move to but I suppose it is at the top of her list once we do. Hope the drought ends and hay and feed come back down Might cost almost as much if you have much waste, or figure your time into it at all.


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## Tribal Warlord Thug (Jan 27, 2009)

we're getting a few alpine pygmy goats so we wont have to worry about the 'milk' crissis....plus it can be made into butter, cream and soap for resale purposes or just plain ol' daily use here on the homestead.....


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## lotsoflead (Jul 25, 2010)

it's time they stopped the welfare for the farms


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

Yep, a couple of dairy goats are looking better all the time...


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

Restocked the pantry with evaporated milk and need to get some more powdered milk. I have a bit of butter canned in the pantry and even more in the freezer. I need to get more butter and cheese in the next few days to ease this pit in my gut.

I told my husband that we are getting a goat when we move if milk does hit that $8 a gallon mark. With a toddler going through 2 gallons of milk a week(cooking included) and my husband's milk addiction of another 2 gallons a week a goat or a share in a dairy cow is looking really good!


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## AuroraHawk (Sep 12, 2012)

Last week milk went from $3.79 (ish) to $5.04 per gallon, in OKC. I'm a milk addict so things could get ugly, very quickly, in this neighborhood.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

We have all mentioned it or thought about either getting dairy goats or a dairy cow. Before I jump the gun and buy a share in a cow or get some goats I wanted to refresh my memory on caring for these animals. I have never worked with a cow of any kind outside a few pounds of ground beef but I have a tiny bit of experience with goats. 

That was a very long time ago so I wanted to look over some websites or a book(or 2). Any suggestions on books or sites to glance at. Help a gal out...


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## Clarice (Aug 19, 2010)

If you don't like non-fat powdered milk Google Klim. This is whole powdered milk and when mix by the directions and chilled it taste really good. Also in the Hispanic isle in Walmart you can find whole powdered milk for around $13. I always buy canned milk by the case but it wouldn't hurt to lay in a couple of more cases. I have about 25# of butter in the freezer and may get some more to can. I have 12 cans of Red Feather butter also.


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## emilysometimes (Oct 6, 2011)

AuroraHawk said:


> Last week milk went from $3.79 (ish) to $5.04 per gallon, in OKC. I'm a milk addict so things could get ugly, very quickly, in this neighborhood.


Milk costs that much in OKC??? We're just north of Dallas and milk is $2.79 at Aldi, a bit higher at Kroger. Holy cow. (sorry about the pun) I have evaporated and dried milk stored, and some of those "juice box" cartons put away, but will be buying more tonight. With a toddler in the house, this could get ugly fast.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

Clarice said:


> If you don't like non-fat powdered milk Google Klim. This is whole powdered milk and when mix by the directions and chilled it taste really good. Also in the Hispanic isle in Walmart you can find whole powdered milk for around $13. I always buy canned milk by the case but it wouldn't hurt to lay in a couple of more cases. I have about 25# of butter in the freezer and may get some more to can. I have 12 cans of Red Feather butter also.


Klim is a Nestle product and also goes under the name Nido.


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

We've been stocking up on Nido and skim milk powder for about 2 years now, likely have just about all we should need for quite some time. The price for both has been creeping up during that 2 year period.

During that same 2 year period we have been buying and canning extra butter so we will likely be good there to. 

Now, we are concentrating on evaporated milk and cans of table cream. Hopefully we can get as much as we need before the price really jumps.


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## tsrwivey (Dec 31, 2010)

I just stocked up on cream cheese & butter over the holidays. I'll stock up on cheese in a couple days after I'm done working. I'll keep buying the milk fresh. Dairy is going to have to get awful expensive for me to be out milking anything or messing with poop piles. I see extra shifts in my future. lol


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

tsrwivey said:


> I just stocked up on cream cheese & butter over the holidays. I'll stock up on cheese in a couple days after I'm done working. I'll keep buying the milk fresh. Dairy is going to have to get awful expensive for me to be out milking anything or messing with poop piles. I see extra shifts in my future. lol


I canned cream cheese using online directions. Opened and used one a few weeks ago in a dessert and couldn't tell it from fresh.
Haven't used or needed any of my canned butter yet--use all from the freezer and then just restock.


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## talob (Sep 16, 2009)

Wife's been canning a lot of butter and turkeys lately, on the goats, had em years ago, after getting used to the milk is good and as I remember made great cheese, seems like someone called goats on another thread here the poor mans cow, trswivey I agree on the chors thing but guess the day could come when we'd be glad to do em, I need to think about goats again and soon I'm afraid.


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## bahramthered (Mar 10, 2012)

Man you guys must have some good preps to be worried about butter.

I hope it all tastes good when the farm bill passes and this gets added to the list of totally fake disasters politics has given us before the politicians get serious and resolve it.


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## PackerBacker (Dec 13, 2012)

Life isn't worth living without butter. 

Farm bill or not dairy is going up in price.


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## jsriley5 (Sep 22, 2012)

Nothing ever goes down ...........except for quality


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

bahramthered said:


> Man you guys must have some good preps to be worried about butter.
> 
> I hope it all tastes good when the farm bill passes and this gets added to the list of totally fake disasters politics has given us before the politicians get serious and resolve it.


If the farm bill doesn't pass or is massively delayed anything made from milk or dairy is going to jump in price. Rather have it stored for my toddler than let her go without.

Plus butter is used in baking. And who doesn't like butter on homemade bread?!


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## PackerBacker (Dec 13, 2012)

jsriley5 said:


> Nothing ever goes down ...........except for quality


Dairy is done pretty significantly from about a year ago or so.


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## cnsper (Sep 20, 2012)

jsriley5 said:


> Nothing ever goes down ...........except for quality


WRONG! Quantity goes down as well. Years ago the standard feed bag was 80 lbs and now you are lucky if it is 40.


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## PackerBacker (Dec 13, 2012)

cnsper said:


> WRONG! Quantity goes down as well. Years ago the standard feed bag was 80 lbs and now you are lucky if it is 40.


Isn't that just a variation of a price increase?

It fools the mathematically challenged.


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## jsriley5 (Sep 22, 2012)

yup paying more or even the same for less is what I"d call rising prices. Sam,e with soup, coffee, and a whole host of other things. Geneticists are working for ways to get chickens to lay half an egg at a time


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## bahramthered (Mar 10, 2012)

Grimm said:


> If the farm bill doesn't pass or is massively delayed anything made from milk or dairy is going to jump in price. Rather have it stored for my toddler than let her go without.
> 
> Plus butter is used in baking. And who doesn't like butter on homemade bread?!


There is no way this bill is getting delayed. No one wants to the be in office when the picture of a bunch of kids get juice boxes instead of milk appears on the news.

But you missed the mark I didn't make any comment on stockpiling milk, just butter.

I get your point I love bread, fresh from the oven. Hurt when I gave it up for dietary reasons. But I seriously expect if things do go to SH!T I will miss bread more than butter.


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## Alaskaman (Apr 6, 2012)

You guys are falling for it. $1.2Billion bill, $800,000,000 is for food stamps. Milk is just the way to satisfy the sheep..
Baaaaaa


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## Swampwood (Jan 2, 2013)

I'm really loving the new pound being 12oz..Tricky bastasgs


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## PackerBacker (Dec 13, 2012)

Alaskaman said:


> You guys are falling for it. $1.2Billion bill, $800,000,000 is for food stamps. Milk is just the way to satisfy the sheep..
> Baaaaaa


Really? Explain please?


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

bahramthered said:


> There is no way this bill is getting delayed. No one wants to the be in office when the picture of a bunch of kids get juice boxes instead of milk appears on the news.
> 
> But you missed the mark I didn't make any comment on stockpiling milk, just butter.
> 
> I get your point I love bread, fresh from the oven. Hurt when I gave it up for dietary reasons. But I seriously expect if things do go to SH!T I will miss bread more than butter.


I grew up in a household that cooked with butter. I currently cook with butter. I'd like to have butter to cook with at a decent price rather than go without.


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## dixiemama (Nov 28, 2012)

Oh I go through butter like crazy. It's the only thing I cook with.


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

Subsidies to farmers are a huge waste in our national budget. There may have been a noble purpose when they started them but an awful lot of money goes to farmers NOT to produce food, too. We have a distant relative who bought a large farm in Kansas. He enrolled it in CRP, where the government paid him to let it sit unplowed and unplanted. He made ALL the payments on that farm with government hand-out CRP payments plus he didn't have to do any work. The government paid him to sit on his butt while he paid off his farm. Feel good about farm subisidies?

Then how about this. We spent over a month in Kansas this fall at my mother-in-law's place, and all around her town, for miles there were unharvested fields. The "drought" had stunted the crops, and even though the fields were full of soybeans, wheat, corn, milo, and other food, none of it was being harvested. The government paid them for their 'lost crops', and the farmers were turning cattle out into the fields or cutting it for animal feed and silage, while banking the government checks. Bonus for them. They still got paid for their crops, and they have all that animal feed.

What other businesses are guaranteed a check whether they do any work or not, and whether their business is successful or not. Sure, they can't control the weather, but do they pay ski areas and their employees when it doesn't snow? Will they pay private snowplowing services when it doesn't snow? Will they pay landscape maintenance companies when there's a drought and there are no lawn mowing jobs? Yeah, yeah, I know... farmers feed the nation. Hah, sure, and they're also a bigger drain on our national finances than all those "social programs".

Will dairy products go up? I would imagine they will, no matter which way the farm bill goes, just _because_ there's a chance it won't pass.

We've had goats and I wouldn't get them again. Among other things, if the SHTF you'll have a big job finding feed for them to keep them producing milk. We've stored quite a bit of powdered milk for the grandkids if need be. Life without butter would certainly be less joyful, so we'll probably cut back on how much we use, but keep buying it as long as we can.


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## redhorse (Dec 27, 2012)

Good post Gypsysue, can I add just a smidge to it  If the farmers actually planted the fields, most of the time, when they are getting money due to a loss, it is because they carried crop insurance on, which comes out of their own pocket. Abuse that system, and like any other insurance company, you will lose your coverage. After fuel and processing costs, if the farmer knew his yield wasn't worth the effort, he would have had a legitimate claim. I forget what it is called where the government will issue a check for letting your crops revert back to wild, but that is a seperate program. While it is a well meaning program, I do not agree with it. I don't have any personal experience with it, but the majority of our town and my neighborhood is a farming community, and I am close with several of my neighbors. 

Regarding the goatems  I live in a different region, and when we kept goats, they only really required supplemental feeding when snow was on the ground. They would make it through the winter browsing on bark and newer branch growth like the deer if it came to that, although the nannies would (and should IMHO) be dried up for the winter. Come spring, they would freshen and keep on milking  

Just my 2 cents, I enjoy your posts ma'am


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

Gypsue Sue--thanks for the farm subsidy lesson.
But, don't you can butter? I have 21 pints so far.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

Butt-in here; I had Farm Bureau--had to change insurance carriers because every year for 4 years our premiums increased dramatically.
All those losses, ya know.:gaah:


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## PackerBacker (Dec 13, 2012)

Somehow I think some got the story mixed up here.

The "subsidy" (gov't buying milk at inflated price)kicks in if the bill doesn't pass. Causing the price to go up.


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## Friknnewguy (Jun 30, 2012)

Excellent post Gypsysue, thank you .


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## fondini (Mar 18, 2012)

I use real butter on everything. Can't imagine life without butter.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

Redhorse is correct; it is not as "easy" to cut losses and reap gains on failed crops as Gypsy sue makes it sound like it is. 

I will agree that CRP has been a pretty big waste of money, but I have NEVER heard of CRP payments large enough to cover land payments!!!! Maybe if he got it for $75 an acre....But where I grew up, good farmland is now $800 to $1000 per acre and the CRP payments will not cover the mortgage payments all by themselves.

Crop insurance is really very similar to car insurance, the premiums are high, and the pay-out on claims is low. If a portion of the crop can still be used for feed, great. But if you kept the cows out and harvested it in stead, I doubt the yields would have been very high (relatively speaking) and I doubt it was a very profitable year, even with the insurance check. 

Eyes can be deceiving.... standing on the edge of the road, a field that makes 80 bu acre wheat sure looks a lot similar to a field that makes 20 bu acre. But you can sure tell the difference from the combine seat!!!!!


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## TexasMama (Dec 3, 2012)

How do you can cream cheese? Link to instructions?


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## mdprepper (Jan 22, 2010)

TexasMama said:


> How do you can cream cheese? Link to instructions?


From our own GypsySue:

http://povertyprepping.blogspot.com/2012/11/canning-butter-and-cheese.html


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## PackerBacker (Dec 13, 2012)

LincTex said:


> Redhorse is correct; it is not as "easy" to cut losses and reap gains on failed crops as Gypsy sue makes it sound like it is.
> 
> I will agree that CRP has been a pretty big waste of money, but I have NEVER heard of CRP payments large enough to cover land payments!!!! Maybe if he got it for $75 an acre....But where I grew up, good farmland is now $800 to $1000 per acre and the CRP payments will not cover the mortgage payments all by themselves.
> 
> ...


Thanks for this post. Very well said. You obviously know what you are talking about.


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

Linc, that was back in the '70s when our relative bought that farm, and yes, he really did get enough CRP payments to use it and only it to pay off the loan. It was a cousin of my husband's Grandma, or something like that. Closely enough related that the family was privvy to the details. Farmland in Kansas is really expensive now. It's almost impossible to buy even a 'small' farm there now, but houses on big lots in small towns around SE Kansas are ridiculously cheap. Not that it has anything to do with farms and gov't subsidies.

I didn't realize the crop loss money came from private insurance plans. I thought it was paid out by the government because they seem to be ready to hand out money to the farmers for everything. For what it's worth, my Dad's family were farmers, and my husband came from a huge family of farmers, so I'm not just attacking something distant from me that I don't know anything about. Clearly I don't know all, because I didn't realize how crop insurance works! 

We gleaned fields all through my childhood (with permission), and helped with harvests when I was older, and still occasionally glean fields if we're in places where things are being grown. There's always quite a bit that gets left behind after harvest. I have a pretty good idea about the size of fields and what is a good crop and what isn't. I've spent more time walking through fields of food than I have on city sidewalks over my 52 years of life! We used to play hide and seek in the cornfields. Clearly the wheat, soybeans, and other crops we looked at while riding bicycles endlessly through the Kansas countryside this fall, near my Mother-in-laws house, were way below what I'd call a good crop. The farmer's at the coffee shop were laughing about collecting their insurance and still having all that free animal feed, some of which they were cutting and selling as feed because they didn't have their own cattle. I guess listening to them laugh about it grated the wrong way on my nerves. And at the time I thought they were dipping that 'failed crop' money from the government, not from private insurance policies. Still...maybe I'm a little too straighl-laced or a little too aware that I have to stand before my maker someday, but it doesn't seem right to claim a total loss, then sell it. It raises the cost of insurance for everyone. 

How does that work, the bit about if the bill doesn't pass, the government will subsidize butter/milk/dairy, and the prices will go up? I don't understand that.

Yes, JayJay, I do can butter...and cheese and just about anything else I can fit in a jar! Butter was just on sale last week, and I wish I had grabbed up another dozen pounds to can. I don't know how much it'll cost by the time we get back to town. I won't use that nasty margarine stuff.


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## fondini (Mar 18, 2012)

Not a farmer here, although I can grow a mean thistle! I don't see why, with poverty at an all time high, we don't use the money to grow and harvest the food for OUR needy.

I wish the govt. would just get out the way and let Americans take care of Americans.

Here we can't donate a deer to the poor unless its processed at a commercial butcher shop.

Wow, if someone's hungry, give them the food to eat.


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## invision (Aug 14, 2012)

gypsysue said:


> Subsidies to farmers are a huge waste in our national budget. There may have been a noble purpose when they started them but an awful lot of money goes to farmers NOT to produce food, too. We have a distant relative who bought a large farm in Kansas. He enrolled it in CRP, where the government paid him to let it sit unplowed and unplanted. He made ALL the payments on that farm with government hand-out CRP payments plus he didn't have to do any work. The government paid him to sit on his butt while he paid off his farm. Feel good about farm subisidies?
> 
> Then how about this. We spent over a month in Kansas this fall at my mother-in-law's place, and all around her town, for miles there were unharvested fields. The "drought" had stunted the crops, and even though the fields were full of soybeans, wheat, corn, milo, and other food, none of it was being harvested. The government paid them for their 'lost crops', and the farmers were turning cattle out into the fields or cutting it for animal feed and silage, while banking the government checks. Bonus for them. They still got paid for their crops, and they have all that animal feed.
> 
> ...


Very good post... In college, I had a buddy whose dad bought 200 acres of woods, er, I mean farm land. He got paid not to farm it. 100% woods but surrounded by farm land. He build a 2 story cabin and had a 4 acre lake created and stocked, all on everyone else's dime...


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## W4OPS (Oct 5, 2012)

I hate to burst your bubble gypsies soon but I can think of a couple of banks that didn't know how to run their business and the government gave the money likewise I can think of a couple car companies that doesn't know how to run their business and the government gave the money as well.

It seems like the government is willing to give any business that fails money these days. Not just farmers. 

But don't give me wrong I don't think banks car companies or farmers should be relying on the government to help them out. I'm just simply pointing out that there are other companies out there that the government has given money to even though those companies should not have deserved it


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## jsriley5 (Sep 22, 2012)

By the way a quick look online it appears to me that crop insurance is through RMA/US Department of Agriculture I went looking because I was pretty sure Gypsy Sue was correct in assuming that the Gov uses our money to issue crop insurance pay outs. They may front it through many offices but that insurance is backed through the Gov.


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## PackerBacker (Dec 13, 2012)

Uncle Sam subsidizes the premium. That is the extent of his involvement. Right, wrong or otherwise.


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## AuroraHawk (Sep 12, 2012)

Grimm said:


> We have all mentioned it or thought about either getting dairy goats or a dairy cow. Before I jump the gun and buy a share in a cow or get some goats I wanted to refresh my memory on caring for these animals. I have never worked with a cow of any kind outside a few pounds of ground beef but I have a tiny bit of experience with goats.
> 
> That was a very long time ago so I wanted to look over some websites or a book(or 2). Any suggestions on books or sites to glance at. Help a gal out...


Grimm, check out the Mother Earth News site. They have several excellent articles about goats and even more about chickens.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

AuroraHawk said:


> Grimm, check out the Mother Earth News site. They have several excellent articles about goats and even more about chickens.


I already get their email updates and their magazine through the mail. Just saw yesterday the article about having a family dairy cow.


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## redhorse (Dec 27, 2012)

I believe the subsidy that paid farmers to not farm their fields had something to do with the tree huggers and letting some of our land revert back to wilderness areas. But again, I have never had the experience myself, we only put up hay, but I seem to recall my neighbor getting this for his hay fields once his doctor told him he was to old to be out in 90 degree heat farming. Needless to say he didn't like the idle life, and was back on his tractor this past summer. He is 86. 

I wish I could put my words together as eloquently as some folks on this forum! Jealous


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## AuroraHawk (Sep 12, 2012)

When our neighbor had his farm in the "soil bank" he was paid not to farm it to help keep the wheat and corn prices higher for the farmers who did grow those crops. Back then there were so many farmers that the grain prices were too low for them to be able to make a living from their crops.

The minute that contract expired he had it planted in corn.

I went looking for better information...damn I'm dating myself!

Agricultural Act of 1956 (from wikipedia.org)

Conservation Reserve Program (from wikipedia.org


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## AuroraHawk (Sep 12, 2012)

redhorse said:


> I wish I could put my words together as eloquently as some folks on this forum! Jealous


I think you communicated your message accurately and eloquently, RedHorse.


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## redhorse (Dec 27, 2012)

Looks like we are both right AuroraHawk, and thank you  This is what my neighbor was talking about. There's enough subsidies out there to make your head spin thats for sure! I have to agree with gypsy regarding the frustration. Cut it!

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/programs/financial/


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## redhorse (Dec 27, 2012)

This a link from the above page, the WHIP program. Well meaning, I love wildlife, but cuts need to be made.

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/programs/financial/whip/?cid=nrcs143_008423


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## redhorse (Dec 27, 2012)

Here is another one, all 50 states included. Like I stated in my earlier post, I love wildlife, and wish more people were concsious and respectful of it, but the system is bloated and people are obviously abusing the system. And there are way to many programs!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_landowner_assistance_program


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

Wow, I guess a lot has/had changed over the years.... we had some land in CRP in the 80's, but an officer from the ASCS office drove out and inspected everyone's designated CRP area to make sure it met certain criteria and to make sure no one was abusing the system.

I do know for SURE there were quite a few elderly people that owned their farmland that put the ENTIRE farm into CRP, but not one single person got rich from it!! My dad sure is no idiot (he quit farming, then went on to get a masters and later a PhD in English and Literature) and if he COULD HAVE made more money putting the entire farm into CRP he sure would have.

I know for a fact that the only land on our place that went into CRP was the hilltops and swamplands (because it is lousy farmland), because the "good" parts of the fields made far more money, so those areas were planted and still raised crops.

It has been a while since 1985, but I seem to recall CRP only paid about $30 or $40 an acre? I do know that the farmer submitted an "offer" and the local office had to accept or deny the offer. If your relative "knew someone" or greased someone's palm, he may have gotten higher payments. At any rate, I think he got really lucky.

As to your relative, he must have met this criteria prior to signing up:
Quote:
*Landowner Requirements*
To be eligible for CRP continuous sign-up enrollment, a landowner must have owned or operated the land for at least 12 months prior to submitting the offer, unless: the new landowner acquired the land due to the previous landowner's death, ownership change occurred due to foreclosure where the owner exercised a timely right or redemption in accordance with state law, or the circumstances of the acquisition present adequate assurance to FSA that the new owner did not acquire the land for the purpose of placing it in CRP [10].

It is also too bad about the Kansas farmers screwing the rest of the country. That is so sad.... farmers used to be people of integrity. That is how I was raised. I remember growing up how crop insurance was a HUGE expense. I seem to recall it was about 20% of the cost of planting the crop! I remember my dad always debating every spring whether to buy it or not, because it was many 1000's of dollars. He often took a chance on just "a guess" and following weather patterns over decades. I sure as hell don't recall any subsidy on the premium back then, or it would have been cheaper.


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## OHprepper (Feb 21, 2012)

Ok, i waited and waited but i have to throw in my 2. I work in wildlife management. I work directly with several of these programs. Most of the wildlife based ones offer no more than advise on how to manage their property to get the desired result ie. More white tailed deer, more fox squirrel, and also forestry, how to manage for greater production of mast in deciduous forests for the same purposes. They are rarely given money, and our operating budget is pitifully low. Most of us work a few jobs. The other programs such as crp and a few others are designed to help the environment. My family has some land in crp. Most years we make about half of what we would if we grew on it. Some years would be much better. If other people with my job in ohio could convince farmers to put more land into crp, or even install filter strips into their riverside cornfields, we wouldnt have yearly massive fish kills in grand lake saint mary due to excessive nitrogen runnoff. Bottom line, these programs are there for a reason. I wouldnt complain too much about these ones. Welfare..... Go ahead. I will be in line to complain about them too. :getsoffsoapbox:


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## AnonyManx (Oct 2, 2012)

bahramthered said:


> Man you guys must have some good preps to be worried about butter.


Butter is important food. If it's pastured butter, it's a good source of true vitamin A, vitamin D3, and vitamin K2. These are among the fat-soluble vitamins that can only be absorbed with dietary fat. Plus, it turns out that saturated fat from animal sources isn't the evil it was being sold as... it turns out it's much healthier than margarines and other manufactured solid fats...

Also, butter is yummy. I have 48 cans of it in the basement. I should get more.


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## talob (Sep 16, 2009)

Wife is still canning butter, she says margarine is just one molecule away from being plastic!


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## AnonyManx (Oct 2, 2012)

talob said:


> Wife is still canning butter, she says margarine is just one molecule away from being plastic!


Yep. IMO, margarine is more plastic than food. Same for ready-made "frosting".


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

AnonyManx said:


> Same for ready-made "frosting".


Bleechhh! I cannot eat it!


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## DJgang (Apr 10, 2011)

remember, farmers are just like small business owners, they support a huge huge part of our economy, with government money and with their own....just thought I would throw that out there


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## neldarez (Apr 10, 2011)

LincTex said:


> Bleechhh! I cannot eat it!


lol I love it and eat it out of the can. Maybe thats why im short


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