g5000
Diamond Member
- Nov 26, 2011
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That is because of global warming.Don’t forget $6 for a pound of ground beef.
The drought in the Southwest is preventing grass from growing, and so cattle ranchers are having to buy alfalfa.
Unfortunately, Alfalfa is one of the thirstiest crops there is. And the Colorado river is drying up, and the groundwater is disappearing from over-farming.
So ranchers are cutting way back on the number of cattle they raise.
That's why you are paying so much for beef.
In Texas drought, hay shortage hits San Antonio-area ranchers, farmers
The cost of hay, locally and out of state, has at least doubled.
www.expressnews.com
Grassfield Farm is down to 100 cows this fall, all of which eat a mix of the ranch’s grass, along with purchased hay. Even so, to keep up with feeding this year, Bendele bought about 500 round bales of hay locally over the summer, each costing about $150. Typically, the ranch purchases just 100 to 150 round bales to supplement during the winter months — at $75 each.
Additionally, Bendele said the ranch is purchasing truckloads of hay from New Mexico for $2,500 every two months rather than every six months — and spending about a thousand more every month on irrigation.
“Prices are going up; our costs are going up,” he said. “If we can get some rain, that’d be great because we just put in some winter grass. But if not, we’ll be in the same position as we were before. We’ll feel the impact of the drought for months to come.”