Some of you may know that the wheat market has recently been better for farmers than the last thirty or more years. You may have heard wheat prices are skyrocketing. Or possibly you are just noticing frequent price changes in the grocery store.
There are many factors affecting wheat prices. One major factor is the world -wide shortage of wheat due to poor harvests in South America, Australia, and other wheat growing regions in recent years. For awhile last year, the United States was the only country with wheat available for export.
Wheat market analysts had hoped that southern hemisphere markets would have had a better than expected wheat harvest this season. Unfortunately, the harvest in those areas, particularly in Australia was “very disappointing”. Again this is continuing to cause upward pressures on wheat pricing as well as availability in certain markets.
Another variable contributing to the wheat price equation has been ethanol. A percentage of farmers have pulled significant amounts of acreage out of wheat production in favor of corn. Some forecasters are predicting current inventories of wheat to run out on or before the 2008 harvest comes in.
Meanwhile, our wheat supplier has raised our prices about five times in the last six months, and found themselves having to adjust their prices, sometimes almost daily, to keep up with the wheat market because of the above pressures.
One customer suggested to me that possibly they should wait on purchasing grain supplies for another year and see what happens. I do not have a crystal ball and do not know what tomorrow holds. Even if worldwide harvests should improve over the next year (which is greatly debatable due to the past few years’ track record), the ethanol connection will continue to affect crop plantings and affect prices and availability. My personal view is that now is the time to buy wheat before the prices go any higher and to ensure that my family has a supply of wheat and other grains on hand.
I believe home reserves of wheat, other grains, and even canned goods is a consumer’s best protection against higher food prices. Last fall I remember noting that our local commercial bread price had gone up about 25%, and that only a portion of that increase could be attributed to the cost of the grain due to increased transportation and other energy costs.
In fact, there hasn’t been a better time to purchase home grain mills and bread baking equipment which not only invests in your family’s health but helps to mitigate against ever higher food prices.
“Coincidentally”, my daughter Mary’s memory verse last week was from Proverbs 6:6-11 – “Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer or ruler, she prepares her food in summer, and gathers her sustenance in harvest. How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from our sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a vagabond, and want like an armed man.”
What this verse in essence is saying is that preparedness, planning ahead, is a plan to succeed. Fail to plan, and you plan to fail. I haven’t talked about preparedness for quite a few years, but the setting aside of a portion of what I have today for future needs is a timeless principle found in the Bible.
Consider the story of Joseph, who through interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams, was led to put aside enough grain in the good years to carry the Egyptians and citizens of other countries, including the provision of his own extended family, through a long period of drought and scarcity.
I hope you will read the article by Kathie Palladino that originally appeared in New Harvest Homestead entitled Learn From the Ant. None of us are exempt from possible economic uncertainties, catastrophic weather such as hurricanes and tornados, or potential crop failures.
One more point I’ll make is that one must never be motivated out of fear. Jesus said over and over, “Do not fear”. We must be motivated by faith; faith that God will provide and use us as a blessing.
If you buy wheat berries for storage… how long do they typically stay fresh??
I’m fairly new to baking bread and buy my whole wheat flour at Walmart. Not ideal stuff, but better than all purpose flour/glue. Would LOVE to have a grain mill when I save enough pennies, or maybe find one at Goodwill…. yeah right!
Thanks,
HeatherJ
Heather, this is what I know about wheat berries. They will stay good forever if they are kept dry. I think I have read that viable wheat berries have been found in the tombs of Pharaohs! I keep my wheat berries in a large plastic bucket with a tight fitting lid. You can usually purchase your wheat in these if you go thru a cooperative. It’s good to have at least one of these plastic buckets, that way when you purchase more wheat you can buy it in large sacks and refill your plastic bucket(s). I can’t stress enough how important it is to keep wheat dry! I lost a large amount of wheat one year because the lid was knocked ajar and moisture got in and the rest is history–it was a buggy mess, horrible! That’s when I switched to a better container (I was using a large clean garbage can lined with plastic with a lid that I kept on tight with a bungy cord. You live and learn!
I suggest looking into your local “Craigs List” for a wheat grinder. You have to be patient, but I found a very good “Vita-Mix” this way. Also, you might post a “looking to buy” sign at your local health food store. This is how I found my juicer! Many people buy health equipment in January (when they resolve to do better) and then sell them in June.