Cows need grass to eat. Grass needs water to grow. It's plain and simple, and it's getting worse.
Ground Beef Prices are Increasing Because of Drought
Cows need grass to eat. Grass needs water to grow. It's plain and simple, and it's getting worse.
A recent article, here on QUARTZ, explains why:
Even the droughts are bigger in Texas
To begin at the beginning: In October 2010, the rain stopped in Texas. No rain meant less grass for grazing cattle meant ranchers fed herds with hay and other expensive feed.
As the drought wore on, Alan Newport, the editor of industry trade magazine Beef Producer, sat in Oklahoma and watched trucks loaded with hay headed south on I-35 to parched Texas ranches and cattle loaded onto potbelly trailers headed north, bound for grazing land in still-verdant North Dakota.
“That’s an expensive way to try to get through a drought,” he says.
Dry conditions doubled hay prices during the drought, further straining ranchers, who were forced to cull their herds – that is, send heifers to the chopping block rather than breed them – and sold others out-of-state.
The thing about price increases is – we don't often notice. And when we do, we don't often understand why.
How will this effect us?
American's are seeking alternate sources of meat.
Homesteader's can farm their own sources of protein.
Homesteading is always a good solution. A cow might be too big for a small homestead, but chickens and goats make great pets to raise for a practical purpose! They also provide you with an excellent source of protein – meat and eggs(chickens) and the goat provides an excellent source of dairy for milk, cheese, and even soap products! The best part about raising your own animals is that you know they will be treated humanely and have a great life of purpose.
Check out our guide for Raising Goats (here) and our guide for Raising Chickens (here).
We Should Always Be Water Wise
Here are 25 tips to conserve water from our article:
- Fix leaky faucets
- Check toilet tanks
- Cut down shower time
- Use Greywater
- Install faucet aerators
- Click here to read all 25
What will America do? What Will You Do?
Here's a video showing the rise in beef, and how it has been effecting the local community.
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