ECON Report food and grocery price increases/shortages here: 2021 Edition

[psychgirl]

Something IS going on with Basil!
Stopped my Aldi today; they had none! The gal doing stocking said she had no idea why but they had none. None coming in. Isn’t that odd?

(On another note, thread drift! I made the cabbage sautéed with bacon and onion! I’ve got the noodles on right now... it is SO good! Hub came in and immediately said ‘ man that smells good!!’

 

[ainitfunny]

I may have to do that, but I would have to peel 3 red potatoes to make up for one russet potato. Red potatoes are just smaller. At least they are where I shop.

shop around, red potatoes grow Big too.the big ones are usually in Kroger.

 

[Sleeping Cobra]

Shortages or not, I think the price of food is going up faster. Inflation or the falling value of the Petro Dollar.

Please take advantage of the Safeway reduced meat bin especially when nice Steaks & Poultry / Pork is 50% off.

 

[Kathy in FL]

Just reporting that local costco does have the "limit one" on paper towels and TP but there was plenty there and no mad or panicked rush by shoppers to get theirs. Lots of brand variety as well ... or as much as costco normally has anyway.

 

[TxGal]

Just reporting that local costco does have the "limit one" on paper towels and TP but there was plenty there and no mad or panicked rush by shoppers to get theirs. Lots of brand variety as well ... or as much as costco normally has anyway.

Yep, the online ordering system for Costco also shows the limit one for paper towels.

 

[Barry Natchitoches]

I was talking to a good friend of mine out in a rural county near Memphis this afternoonn;

This lady is the chief lunch lady at the primary elementary school in that county, and she drives a school bus before and after school as well.

She told me - without my asking - that she is so tired after getting home because “we are not getting half of the stuff we are supposed to be getting from Sysco, and every day it is getting to be more and more difficult to find enough food to fill the kids plates. “.

She tells me that nutritional guidelines have long ago fallen by the wayside. These days, it is a challenge just to find enough to feed the kids something.

Now, please understand this - we are NOT talking about some place far off the interstate commerce main lines, like northern Maine or the Dakotas.

We are talking about the biggest elementary school in a county that is less than 60 miles from the huge Memphis International Airport with its giant main Fed Ex hub, the huge warehouse district that supports it, the equally huge Amazon shipping complex with its huge inventory, plus all the other shipping that comes throuth this area.

We are at the intersection of the main I-55 North-South interstate (Chicago to New Orleans via. St. Louis and Memphis) and the main East to West Interstate I-40 which takes you from cities on the Atlantic to Los Angeles via. Nashville, Memphis, Little Rock, Oklahoma, Albaquerque, New Mexico, Arizona, Las Vegas and finally onto the port of Los Angeles.

Probably as much as 40% or more of the nation’s commerce comes through the Memphis area. This is why I have always said, when I begin to report serious shortages hitting in THIS AO, that is a SERIOUS warning flag. Just by virtue of our convenient location on the shipping lanes, our area will be one of the last to run short.

Well, this school is on one of the main highways running in and out of Memphis. She is telling me that much of the problem - she is told - is Sysco lacks drivers. But criminey - her school is one block off one of the biggest shipping highways in the nation. Sysco and US Foods (which they used last year) both run trucks through here every day. They could easily load this school’s order on one of those trucks, if the problem is a shortage of drivers.

So when the chief lunch lady at this school can’t get enough to feed her children - and tells me that this is getting to be a daily concern at this point - I get concerned!

She also tells me that twice a year, the school usually gets a shipment of USDA commodoties too.

But last year, she said, they only got one of those shipments. They were told it was because they did not have anybody to drive the food up from Batesville, MS, less than an hour away.

She suggested that they take a school bus down there to get the food, as she is also a county school bus driver.

But her supervisor never went through the trouble of pushing the paperwork, and that never happened

 

[Sleeping Cobra]

I saw a video that the Government is paying Farmers to destroy their crops and won't subsidize them if they don't destroy the crops. Deliberate food shortage.

God Told Me In 2015 "Food Will Become Unaffordable"

Proverbs 3:5-6 5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Earliest mention of the coming storm https://youtu.be/OjLOrFU5D18 A storm is coming.

www.bitchute.com

Video: 10:01 long

 

[packyderms_wife]

Something IS going on with Basil!
Stopped my Aldi today; they had none! The gal doing stocking said she had no idea why but they had none. None coming in. Isn’t that odd?

(On another note, thread drift! I made the cabbage sautéed with bacon and onion! I’ve got the noodles on right now... it is SO good! Hub came in and immediately said ‘ man that smells good!!’

I may make this tomorrow night, I didn't get it done last night and that's okay we still had a ton of food to eat! I still have some ham steak I can cube up and put in with the cabbage. Oh and do try it also with some finely sliced colored bell peppers and carrot.

 

[packyderms_wife]

I was talking to a good friend of mine out in a rural county near Memphis this afternoonn;

This lady is the chief lunch lady at the primary elementary school in that county, and she drives a school bus before and after school as well.

She told me - without my asking - that she is so tired after getting home because “we are not getting half of the stuff we are supposed to be getting from Sysco, and every day it is getting to be more and more difficult to find enough food to fill the kids plates. “.

She tells me that nutritional guidelines have long ago fallen by the wayside. These days, it is a challenge just to find enough to feed the kids something.

Now, please understand this - we are NOT talking about some place far off the interstate commerce main lines, like northern Maine or the Dakotas.

We are talking about the biggest elementary school in a county that is less than 60 miles from the huge Memphis International Airport with its giant main Fed Ex hub, the huge warehouse district that supports it, the equally huge Amazon shipping complex with its huge inventory, plus all the other shipping that comes throuth this area.

We are at the intersection of the main I-55 North-South interstate (Chicago to New Orleans via. St. Louis and Memphis) and the main East to West Interstate I-40 which takes you from cities on the Atlantic to Los Angeles via. Nashville, Memphis, Little Rock, Oklahoma, Albaquerque, New Mexico, Arizona, Las Vegas and finally onto the port of Los Angeles.

Probably as much as 40% or more of the nation’s commerce comes through the Memphis area. This is why I have always said, when I begin to report serious shortages hitting in THIS AO, that is a SERIOUS warning flag. Just by virtue of our convenient location on the shipping lanes, our area will be one of the last to run short.

Well, this school is on one of the main highways running in and out of Memphis. She is telling me that much of the problem - she is told - is Sysco lacks drivers. But criminey - her school is one block off one of the biggest shipping highways in the nation. Sysco and US Foods (which they used last year) both run trucks through here every day. They could easily load this school’s order on one of those trucks, if the problem is a shortage of drivers.

So when the chief lunch lady at this school can’t get enough to feed her children - and tells me that this is getting to be a daily concern at this point - I get concerned!

She also tells me that twice a year, the school usually gets a shipment of USDA commodoties too.

But last year, she said, they only got one of those shipments. They were told it was because they did not have anybody to drive the food up from Batesville, MS, less than an hour away.

She suggested that they take a school bus down there to get the food, as she is also a county school bus driver.

But her supervisor never went through the trouble of pushing the paperwork, and that never happened

There are articles after articles here discussing the truck driver shortage. My cousin is a LHT and he has confirmed that the shortage is a very real issue and that it won't be resolved anytime soon even with the introduction of foreign drivers.

 

[annieosage]

I was talking to a good friend of mine out in a rural county near Memphis this afternoonn;

This lady is the chief lunch lady at the primary elementary school in that county, and she drives a school bus before and after school as well.

She told me - without my asking - that she is so tired after getting home because “we are not getting half of the stuff we are supposed to be getting from Sysco, and every day it is getting to be more and more difficult to find enough food to fill the kids plates. “.

She tells me that nutritional guidelines have long ago fallen by the wayside. These days, it is a challenge just to find enough to feed the kids something.

Now, please understand this - we are NOT talking about some place far off the interstate commerce main lines, like northern Maine or the Dakotas.

We are talking about the biggest elementary school in a county that is less than 60 miles from the huge Memphis International Airport with its giant main Fed Ex hub, the huge warehouse district that supports it, the equally huge Amazon shipping complex with its huge inventory, plus all the other shipping that comes throuth this area.

We are at the intersection of the main I-55 North-South interstate (Chicago to New Orleans via. St. Louis and Memphis) and the main East to West Interstate I-40 which takes you from cities on the Atlantic to Los Angeles via. Nashville, Memphis, Little Rock, Oklahoma, Albaquerque, New Mexico, Arizona, Las Vegas and finally onto the port of Los Angeles.

Probably as much as 40% or more of the nation’s commerce comes through the Memphis area. This is why I have always said, when I begin to report serious shortages hitting in THIS AO, that is a SERIOUS warning flag. Just by virtue of our convenient location on the shipping lanes, our area will be one of the last to run short.

Well, this school is on one of the main highways running in and out of Memphis. She is telling me that much of the problem - she is told - is Sysco lacks drivers. But criminey - her school is one block off one of the biggest shipping highways in the nation. Sysco and US Foods (which they used last year) both run trucks through here every day. They could easily load this school’s order on one of those trucks, if the problem is a shortage of drivers.

So when the chief lunch lady at this school can’t get enough to feed her children - and tells me that this is getting to be a daily concern at this point - I get concerned!

She also tells me that twice a year, the school usually gets a shipment of USDA commodoties too.

But last year, she said, they only got one of those shipments. They were told it was because they did not have anybody to drive the food up from Batesville, MS, less than an hour away.

She suggested that they take a school bus down there to get the food, as she is also a county school bus driver.

But her supervisor never went through the trouble of pushing the paperwork, and that never happened

DD sent me an article regarding the same in Watertown

Watertown Public Schools Facing Food Supply Shortages, National Supply Chain Issues

Watertown Public Schools Facing Food Supply Shortages, National Supply Chain Issues

WATERTOWN (CBS) — Friday’s lunch at Watertown’s Middle School is expected to be popcorn chicken, mashed potatoes and corn.

Nutrition director Brandon Rabbit says he has those food items Thursday, but that’s not always the case.

“We’re struggling to make sure we get everything together in time, and making sure that we have all the products in stock and we have substitutions for everything that’s missing,” said Rabbit.

What’s missing is now the key. National supply chain issues have forced the staff to pivot almost everyday. Rabbit can’t even get a simple spork any more. They have to pay more for individuals knives and forks. And just because the menu says carrots doesn’t mean he’ll have them.

“We were anticipating 20 cases coming, and we ended up not getting any,” said Rabbit.

Crazy times ahead. I saw a Tik Tok (take it for what it is) of a lady who works ordering food for a chain of nursing homes. It was the same situation.

 

[Sleeping Cobra]

I saw this recent headline:

Dozens of ships are forced to anchor off coast of New York as they wait to dock in the country's second-largest port - adding to US supply chain crunch which has forced FedEx to reroute 600k packages a day

 

[JMG91]

Here in middle GA, the Kroger's have bare shelves everywhere. I've been trying to get ahead of the curve this time, and get extra of the stuff they ran out of last time. Hubs is a bit of a maniac about having too much "stuff," so I have to be judicious about what I get and when.

 

[TxGal]

Family member sent me this message about what's being seen down in Huntsville, TX today:

"Hey, did something happen in the news today? The lines at Kroger for gas and prescriptions were kinda nuts."

I explained about the shortages in the news and the budget fiasco in Washington. But, this family member is very sharp and doesn't overreact...just mentioning it must mean it was pretty crazy down there.

I was planning my grocery run for later this week. It ought to be interesting.

 

[John Deere Girl]

Something IS going on with Basil!
Stopped my Aldi today; they had none! The gal doing stocking said she had no idea why but they had none. None coming in. Isn’t that odd?

(On another note, thread drift! I made the cabbage sautéed with bacon and onion! I’ve got the noodles on right now... it is SO good! Hub came in and immediately said ‘ man that smells good!!’

I grow basil every year, so much so that I hang it on our barn to dry and have had people ask if it was marjauana. This year I only managed to save a small amount. It did terrible, as did my tomatoes.

 

[summerthyme]

Basil can do quite well on a sunny windowsill idfyour house doesn't get too chilly...

Summerthyme

 

[Sleeping Cobra]

From another forum:

Everything seems normal, except prices being about 15%-20% higher than they were a year ago.

SE Florida

 

[psychgirl]

I grow basil every year, so much so that I hang it on our barn to dry and have had people ask if it was marjauana. This year I only managed to save a small amount. It did terrible, as did my tomatoes.

I used to grow scads if it but didn’t any herbs this year

 

[ainitfunny]

I just got a package in a Sams Club box.
I'm ordering a lot of stuff,, boxes coming in almost every other day. But I dont belong to Sam's Club. Maybe Walmart sent it?
it's Addressed to me.
It was Cornstarch that I ordered from Amazon (at half price of Every place else)
4 lb.

 

[blackguard]

I work at a state college in the Food Service area so I am directly ordering food / drink on a weekly basis. Couple of things over the last two weeks. We use Coremark among other vendors and two weeks ago only received 50% of what was ordered from them. Last week it was less than 50%, today the Coca Cola order came in and we got about a quarter of what was ordered. Our US Foods order is coming in the morning and we've been told it will be missing quit a bit. Curious to see how much isn't there. We're constantly having to substitute due to shortages. It's really starting to be a problem. The quality on some product we are getting is not great at times.

 

[Barry Natchitoches]

Y

There are articles after articles here discussing the truck driver shortage. My cousin is a LHT and he has confirmed that the shortage is a very real issue and that it won't be resolved anytime soon even with the introduction of foreign drivers.

Yes, I have read those same accounts and recognize that the driver shortage is real.

But my point is that even with the shortage, there are Sysco trucks running within a city block of her school every day. There may not be as many trucks running from Sysco as normal, but Sysco also has a huge facility in Memphis (along with FedEx, Amazon, and a large number of other companies - including several national trucking companies), and because they have a major hub here, they have trucks headed down the highway near her school every day.

IF they have enough food to feed the kids at this rural school, and the driver shortage is the only reason for the kids not getting their food, they could squeeze the relatively few boxes that school needs on trucks that are already destined to travel that highway. It is just not that far from the Sysco hub.

Alternatively, if the driver shirtage is the only reason for the shortage of food at that school and Sysco really cannot squeeze a few boxes onto trucks that are traveling down that road already, then why does nobody take this lunch lady up on her offer to use her school bus - which she is already fully licensed and authorized to drive - to the restaurant supplier every so often, and let her pick up their orders for, say, an entire month or two at one single time.

Again, we are talking about less than 60 miles, one way. We are not even talking about crossing state lines.

We are talking about feeding children here.

If the food to feed them actually exists and is located less than 60 miles away from the school, it would seem to me that they would already have found a way to transport that food such a small distance.

Hell, I would go pick the food up and drive it out to them, for that matter. And if I would do it - and I have no connection to the school or its hungry kids, you want to tell me that there are no concerned parents who would not drive the short distance to pick up that food? You ever met up with a soccer mom?

I know that nationally there is a trucking shortage. But are you really trying to tell me that there actually IS food for these kids lunches at the Sysco hub in Memphis, but the cafeteria staff is scrounging for something to put on their plates because of a truck driver shortage?

Are you telling me that these kids are barely getting something - anything - put on their plates at meal time because the bulk of their food sits in a warehouse less than 60 miles away and there is nobody willing to go pick it up for them?



I am sorry, but IMHO, that dog just don’t hunt!

 

[packyderms_wife]

Y

Yes, I have read those same accounts and recognize that the driver shortage is real.

But my point is that even with the shortage, there are Sysco trucks running within a city block of her school every day. There may not be as many trucks running from Sysco as normal, but Sysco also has a huge facility in Memphis (along with FedEx, Amazon, and a large number of other companies - including several national trucking companies), and because they have a major hub here, they have trucks headed down the highway near her school every day.

IF they have enough food to feed the kids at this rural school, and the driver shortage is the only reason for the kids not getting their food, they could squeeze the relatively few boxes that school needs on trucks that are already destined to travel that highway. It is just not that far from the Sysco hub.

Alternatively, if the driver shirtage is the only reason for the shortage of food at that school and Sysco really cannot squeeze a few boxes onto trucks that are traveling down that road already, then why does nobody take this lunch lady up on her offer to use her school bus - which she is already fully licensed and authorized to drive - to the restaurant supplier every so often, and let her pick up their orders for, say, an entire month or two at one single time.

Again, we are talking about less than 60 miles, one way. We are not even talking about crossing state lines.

We are talking about feeding children here.

If the food to feed them actually in existance and is less than 60 miles away, it would seem to me that they would already have found a way to transport that food such a small distance.

Hell, I would go pick the food up and drive it out to them, for that matter. And if I would do it - and I have no connection to the school or its hungry kids, you want to tell me that there are no concerned parents who would not drive the short distance to pick up that food?

I know that nationally there is a trucking shortage. But are you really trying to tell me that there actually IS food for these kids lunches at the Sysco hub in Memphis, but the cafeteria staff is scrounging for something to put on their plates because of a truck driver shortage?

Are you telling me that these kids are barely getting something - anything - put on their plates at meal time because the bulk of their food sits in a warehouse less than 60 miles away and there is nobody willing to go pick it up for them?



I am sorry, but IMHO, that dog just don’t hunt!

Sysco has a huge facility in Des Moines, Iowa. Same thing is happening here.

 

[Sleeping Cobra]

Saw another video and the guy said prices on food will rise 10% - 14% Fall 2021 because "very low supply - high demand".

 

[packyderms_wife]

Saw another video and the guy said prices on food will rise 10% - 14% Fall 2021 because "very low supply - high demand".

Market to market on pbs for a reality check.

 

[Sleeping Cobra]

I fear................. price control on food as the Government throws more trillions of dollars in the collapsing economy. Zimbabwe anyone? Plus with the shortage of food / products, stores will limit on how many you can purchase.

 

[Esto Perpetua]

I've just about decided to stop buying potatoes at the grocery stores I shop. For the last month or two, every bag I buy, and bring home, look great, until you cut into them. They are all rotten on the inside. Almost every single one. NE MS.

I started putting mine in the refrigerator as soon as I bring them home.

 

[anna43]

Potatoes stored in the fridge will develop a sweet taste which I find undesireable.

 

[summerthyme]

Potatoes stored in the fridge will develop a sweet taste which I find undesireable.

Yes, Temps below 40 degrees will turn some of the starch into sugar. You can reverse that by leaving them above 50 degrees for a few days (in a dark box or bag, of course)

Summerthyme

 

[SquonkHunter]

I just got a package in a Sams Club box.
I'm ordering a lot of stuff,, boxes coming in almost every other day. But I dont belong to Sam's Club. Maybe Walmart sent it?
it's Addressed to me.
It was Cornstarch that I ordered from Amazon (at half price of Every place else)
4 lb.

My Amazon orders have lately been "repackaged" into whatever boxes they have on hand. Maybe another cost-cutting "dot"?

 

[Sleeping Cobra]

Hope I can place this here from another forum:

"Yeah, our cost on propane has gone from $0.65 a gallon this time last year to $1.57 today. Propane has more than doubled in the last year."

A response to this......

"Wow what part of Texas are y'all in? I just filled 500 gallons of propane at my place and it was $2.29 a gallon. My area is what's called North Texas."

 

[Griz3752]

did a little run Sun 0900 to Kroger, Truse Rd, Memphis.
As b/4 @ WE K stores, some holes but by brand, not whole category. Last time, there were not-regularly seen brands in some areas but nothing like that yet. Price creep across the board though and a few more item w/ constant price but smaller form factor/weight. Lots of that in cereals.
Flours, sugars not as deep as usual.

Going to do a big run Wednesday as we're taking turns w/ docs AM appts 2day, thurs/fri

 

[briches]

I did some grocery shopped no yesterday doe the first time in at least a couple of weeks. Prices were quite eye opening.
Some store brand salad dressing which used to be $1.00 was now $1.49 .... store brand potato chips used to be 89 Cents now $1.49 (I didn’t get either - just using as a comparison). Cans of veggies were $1.29.

I will be shopping the sales again from here on out.

 

[greysage]

I did some grocery shopped no yesterday doe the first time in at least a couple of weeks. Prices were quite eye opening.
Some store brand salad dressing which used to be $1.00 was now $1.49 .... store brand potato chips used to be 89 Cents now $1.49 (I didn’t get either - just using as a comparison). Cans of veggies were $1.29.

I will be shopping the sales again from here on out.

Myself I would not count on sales. If it's on the shelf or in the cooler/freezer it's on sale. Sales I've seen lately mainly seem to be around the meat dept and produce to move something coming near expiration or it's mediocre quality.

 

[briches]

Myself I would not count on sales. If it's on the shelf or in the cooler/freezer it's on sale. Sales I've seen lately mainly seem to be around the meat dept and produce to move something coming near expiration or it's mediocre quality.

Good perspective. Thank you.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

I started putting mine in the refrigerator as soon as I bring them home.

I think they've already begun to rot when I bring them home. They look ok when I buy them, but cut into one of them, and they are rotten in the middle. I hate cooking baked potatoes, and when you're ready to eat them, open them up, rotten, and it ruins the whole meal. Yuk.

I used 8 medium sized potatoes last night just so I could get enough potato chunks to make a small bowl of potato salad! It's a waste of time and money to buy the darn things.

 

[connie]

Costco in West Texas fairly well stocked.
They did have limit one on butter which I thought was odd. No ghee the last 2 trips.
Had store brand paper towels this time but not a lot. Also had tp.
Only glanced at meat and prices were high.

 

[John Deere Girl]

I think they've already begun to rot when I bring them home. They look ok when I buy them, but cut into one of them, and they are rotten in the middle. I hate cooking baked potatoes, and when you're ready to eat them, open them up, rotten, and it ruins the whole meal. Yuk.

I peeled 8 medium sized potatoes last night just so I could get enough potato chunks to make a small bowl of potato salad! It's a waste of time and money to buy the darn things.

Potatoes are really easy to grow. They even do well in containers. I know this doesn't help now, but maybe it could help in the future. I am having the same issue with our store bought potatoes but not the ones we are starting to harvest.

 

[nomifyle]

I fear................. price control on food as the Government throws more trillions of dollars in the collapsing economy. Zimbabwe anyone? Plus with the shortage of food / products, stores will limit on how many you can purchase.

For me limits are not a problem, at this point I only buy a couple of cans of something to replace what I've used. Who knows what the future holds.

God is good all the time

Judy

 

[SouthernBreeze]

Potatoes are really easy to grow. They even do well in containers. I know this doesn't help now, but maybe it could help in the future. I am having the same issue with our store bought potatoes but not the ones we are starting to harvest.

We've tried several different methods over the years, and nothing seems to work good for us. We gave up trying a few years ago. The last time we tried, we planted directly into the ground in a prepared section of our garden. Plants were beautiful. When it came time to harvest them, to our dismay, some insect or something had eaten holes in every single potato we dug up. The whole crop was ruined. The potatoes looked like Swiss cheese.

 

[chumly2071]

I just got a package in a Sams Club box.
I'm ordering a lot of stuff,, boxes coming in almost every other day. But I dont belong to Sam's Club. Maybe Walmart sent it?
it's Addressed to me.
It was Cornstarch that I ordered from Amazon (at half price of Every place else)
4 lb.

I've had eBay and Amazon sellers drop ship me items from other stores like Sam's or Walmart. After that happens, I end up looking again at those sites and see I could have bought direct for less than what I paid via Amazon or eBay... So I end up checking there first the next time I order. It's an interesting game, and catches me off guard the same way it did you.

 

[bev]

This is not technically “food,” but I’ll put it here anyway ...

I‘ve been shopping for vitamins recently, specifically vitamins C and D3. I have trouble swallowing big pills, so I prefer the gummies, plus I share them with the grands. And these taste really good.

Locally, it’s getting hard to find them in the brand I prefer (Nature Made, they often have BOGO deals). I have found them on Amazon and Vitacost, but by the time I finish shopping, they’ve been marked “out of stock” in my cart.

They were out of stock at my closest Walgreens and I was able to order them online yesterday. They also had the BOGO deal.

Does anyone have another good source for vitamins?