Smithfield closes?

[pineywoods]

Interesting stuff people and who really knows what we will endure it's been rather crazy already. Toilet paper shortage, Bread shortage, Yeast shortage, Meat shortage, egg shortage, potato shortage, now I understand in my area you can't purchase a baby chicken anywhere. Do you think people realize that the baby chicken they bought today isn't going to lay eggs tomorrow or maybe ever because they got a rooster should be interesting.

Run on meat and chest freezers in 5, 4, 3, 2.....

Hmmmm, I need more vacuum sealer bags anyways.

To late around here neighbors wanted to buy a smaller chest freezer and can't find a new one to buy they say. There has already been times you can go into the stores around here and not find meat. Luckily I just bought a good amount of vacuum sealer bags before this started.

I know producers. I am a producer at the farm level. I suggest everyone get to know your local meat producers and buy direct. Learn, or don’t be afraid to slaughter and butcher.

Bingo farmers for the most part still have product you may just have to deal with it in a different form than your used to if you never butchered an animal or dealt with produce straight off the farm you may get an education. However if you look around and find the farmers you likely will find some good things to eat. Maybe talk to your neighbors from a decent distance and get together and buy stuff and split it if quanities are to big for your family.

As was also said there is stuff not being harvested such as produce some because of packing houses or processing plants and other times because of labor shortages.

Personally we are pretty well set I have a couple well stocked freezers that can provide us enough for quite awhile. I have lots of veggie seeds so we'll eat alright.

I know some people have offered help to other members that haven't been able to find this or that and that's cool. I know I've mailed out several packages of yeast and others have mailed out other stuff.

Good luck to all

 

[waynl]

I don't know if the numbers are accurate on the Sioux Falls plant closure affecting national pork production. Corporate and media tend to embellish numbers.
Plant should be down 3-4 weeks?

Smithfield wants to shut down for 3 days, the state wants a 2 week shut down. The plant processes 20,000 hogs a day and I don't doubt that they do process about 5% of the nation's supply. With about 300 workers confirmed positive for the virus, and you can presume more are to follow, they are without nearly 10% of their workforce. Just wish the workers recover and can resume their normal lives.

 

[waynl]

I was a dairy farmer for many years. Around here a few weeks ago you could not find milk on the shelves yet some of my still farming friends had to dump milk because the creamery couldn't move product.

I still have cows, 7 head of beef-on-the-hoof. I assured SWMBO that if things got real bad I could butcher a cow and we'd eat. It may not be pretty but I could get it done. For now we have 3 freezers fairly well stocked with all sorts of food that can be used first.

 

[tropics]

Wonder what this is going to do to pork prices?
I usually buy pork shoulder, butts, in walmart. Just bought this past Friday. It was 1.79 a pound which is great in my neck of the woods.

Check Hannafords up buy you,I get Butts for $0.99 a lot of times from them.
Watch their flyer
Richie

 

[sawhorseray]

I'm up just in time to drive over to Sam's Club and get in line with the rest of the over 60 crowd, maybe score a couple racks of spares and a butt for the freezer. Chicken thighs too! RAY

 

[waynl]

now I understand in my area you can't purchase a baby chicken anywhere. Do you think people realize that the baby chicken they bought today isn't going to lay eggs tomorrow or maybe ever because they got a rooster should be interesting.

This reminds me of the story my Mother-in-law told of her brothers, 8 of them, when growing up on the farm. One had the propensity of getting drunk once a week or so and could hardly milk his share of the cows the next morning. One day after he had tied one on one of the other boys switched animals up on him. She couldn't recall if the bull was appreciative or not!

I get a kick out of seeing well meaning but very much naive people starting up their own garden or small homestead. I had trouble ordering seeds for my garden ( I was late this year), some of the varieties I normally get were back-ordered. One seed house I deal with even has started deferring home garden orders until later in April so that they can fill commercial grower's seed needs. My buddy joked the other day that there will be a lot of weed patches come July. And the local farm supply stores that in years past had chicks feathering out in the stores now can't even keep any on display due to the demand.

 

[pops6927]

Concerning the various plant shutdowns, it is predicted that boneless chicken breasts may suffer from lack of labor to debone them! Good thing I still have my meatcutting knives and my Worksharp sharpener with a new belt installed on it!

 

[Rboyd365]

Tyson chicken has shuttered plants in Arkansas too. I hear farmers in florida are leaving produce in the field to rot because there is nowhere to send it to process it for sale.

Leaving produce in the field and dumping milk.

 

[Dunstablegrizzly]

I have a few farms around me so I will check them out. It's just you usually have to buy the entire animal to butcher it. I would definitely do that if I had a big freezer.

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

Keep in mind, Smithfield is the largest producer/processor, but they are not the only one.
The meat packing industry will probably institute worker screenings just as other industries have been doing and plant closings, if needed, will be temporary.

 

[Bytor]

With everyone stuck at home, and grocery stores providing curb side pick up, I can’t imagine food demand going down. In fact I would guess just the opposite. Meat is a problem because of processing. Fruits and vegetables on the other hand should not suffer. I can’t even buy a pound of potatoes in my town Most days.

If the demand isn't going up, I think my waistline might be.

 

[MikeFR]

I was a dairy farmer for many years. Around here a few weeks ago you could not find milk on the shelves yet some of my still farming friends had to dump milk because the creamery couldn't move product

Being in the Transportation industry, I can say that it’s not only a lack of manpower to move product, but it has quickly turned into a situation where many will be forced to park trucks in the bank lots because the rates no longer allow them to stay in business.

Myself, I’ve been parked for almost two weeks because my engine went down. I’m staring at a $17k engine overhaul to pay for this week, and watching as rates have dropped to a point where I am going to be lucky to barely pay for expenses and hope to have a tiny amount left over to call an income. And my operating expenses are low compared to most.

I have faith that it will all turn around and that my house will be ok, but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t worrying from time to time.

 

[Dunstablegrizzly]

If the demand isn't going up, I think my waistline might be.

So true!!!! Just stepped on the work scale and I'm plus 6 pounds! I was just at my yearly physical a few weeks back and my Dr told me to lose some weight or I would have to up my cholesterol and high blood pressure dosages. She is going to kill me as I have another check up in like 5 weeks!

 

[Dunstablegrizzly]

Being in the Transportation industry, I can say that it’s not only a lack of manpower to move product, but it has quickly turned into a situation where many will be forced to park trucks in the bank lots because the rates no longer allow them to stay in business.

Myself, I’ve been parked for almost two weeks because my engine went down. I’m staring at a $17k engine overhaul to pay for this week, and watching as rates have dropped to a point where I am going to be lucky to barely pay for expenses and hope to have a tiny amount left over to call an income. And my operating expenses are low compared to most.

I have faith that it will all turn around and that my house will be ok, but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t worrying from time to time.

I hear you brother! I'm a little worried from time to time but try to keep my mind off if it. I'm fortunate that my employer is still open due to being a military supplier of manufactured goods.

But just like you I have faith this will turn around.