Meat, was Grains Good as Gold

[Guest guest]

Also, on meat prices .... I've also heard they

went way up recently. Our distributor said the

usual price has been $1.85 " forever " , for hanging

weight (that includes their cutting fee, I think). But

last fall it went up to $2.65, because of the BSE

thing and imports being cut from Canada. The

farmer I bought from didn't raise his price (and

in general, old steer go for less?). But I'm not sure

what is going to happen with the beef market, which

is why I hedged the market (bought calves).

Also if you are on a budget, the beef market

is interesting. The price on a side of beef varies

depending on the age of the steer and the marbelling

of the beef. So a grass-fed old steer, which has fat

but isn't marbelled, goes for a lot less than a well-marbelled

grain fed factory steer.

(As for pigs, I have no idea! They are advertising " weaner pigs "

at the grocery store for $40, if I liked pork I'd be tempted to

get one and use it as a garbage disposal for a year. I knew a

guy who collected restaurant scraps and raised hogs with

the scraps ...)

-- Heidi