What Does The Drought Mean?

This is a picture of the grass in my front yard.

I made sure to get a little of my peony bush in there so you could see how

NOT green my grass really is.

{{{sniff}}}

In Southern Wisconsin, just since June we are down about five inches of rain...

it is worse if you factor in May.

Add record high temperatures over the last few weeks and we have some serious conditions.

Many local areas cancelled their firework displays this year.

Many areas have a "burn ban" going on.

More than half the counties in Wisconsin have been declared emergency situations

as it is now an EXTREME drought here,

from our Governor and they are now talking about water restrictions.

{{{sigh}}}

Let me tell you right up front: I am not worried about the grass.

It is hearty stuff and had simply gone "dormant".

It will come back in full force as long as it is NOT watered and NOT mowed.

We haven't mowed the yard since the first week of May.

What AM I worried about?

What this is doing to the crops!

The heat wave in March messed with a lot of fruit crops like the cherries in Door County,

Apple trees, etc.

Now, the lack of water is hurting the corn crops.

Wisconsin will loose most of what is planted.

Let's talk supply and demand.

If there is a low supply of certain foods, the price is driven up by the demand for it.

Do you have any idea how many food items have corn in it?

Cereals, crackers, taco and tortilla shells, cornmeal, corn starch, corn syrup, corn oil,

popcorn, it's a filler for processed meats...it's even used in school glue!

It is also used as feed for most of the meats we eat: as livestock grain.

Not to mention Biofuels...or pet food.

Can you hop aboard my thought train here?

ALL of those items will be more expensive over the next year!

Corn is just ONE of the crops that are being damaged right now...

and it's not just Wisconsin: the entire Midwest has the same conditions.

Indiana and Ohio seem worse than Wisconsin.

:(

Remember last years horrid peanut crop?

16oz jars of peanut butter went from $2.00 to $3.00, almost over night.

So. What can we do?

Be savvy shoppers!

Watch for those items NOW. Look for sales, match up our coupons,

look for items for comfortably fill our stockpiles.

September brings back the deals on baking supplies...

we should see deals on corn meal, corn starch, corn syrup, etc.

It will be too early for the poor crops to make a difference at the stores so work it to your advantage!

Most of those items have a 2+ year shelf life,

so you will want enough to hold you over almost that long.

NEXT year's crop should be better and hopefully the elevated product prices will drop.

:)