Food prices will continue to rise

Food prices will continue to rise across the board. Don't be fooled because the price of eggs is lower now. You may see some fluctuations seasonally as inventory increases on certain produce allowing select items to reduce costs. There are multiple factors in play.

Tariffs are adversely affecting every part of the food supply chain. Tariffs on steel and aluminum have forced prices up for cans. Lumber from Canada makes shipping crates and produce boxes. Many crops are grown by our neighbors to the north and south. This includes peat moss and growing mediums from Canada. Foods from condiments to produce to flour come from Mexico and Canada. We also get food products from overseas: ramen and rice, bottled and canned foods, some produce, wine and cheeses, spices, and chocolate and vanilla.

As immigrant labor decreases, fewer crops will be harvested. ICE is literally terrorizing workers who are wary to show up for work fearing the concentration - deportation camps. Many detainees are housed in literal cages.

Climate change is real and it's affecting harvests. Don't believe in it? Your insurance company sure as hell does. Some insurers have left California and Florida markets. Some people can no longer get home insurance once they rebuild after a disaster. Some can no longer afford the exorbitant prices. The insurance industry may be the next economic bubble to burst and affect the other markets too.

Everyone has seen their home rates raised due to increased fire risk, more flooding, stronger storms, higher storm surges, and sea level rise. Also increasing costs are higher replacement costs due to labor shortages in the building industry thanks to mass deportations and increased lumber, metal, and equipment costs on tariff hit supplies. 

It isn't just home insurance. Droughts and floods affect crop insurance rates because bad weather destroys crops. Medical insurance costs are up due to poorer air quality and increases in cancer rates due to pollution. Now in denial about the facts, the DOD issued its first warning of climate change driven migration back in the 1990s. Scientists have been warning us about climate change since the 1970s and even further back about pollution risks. I hope these links from government backed sites stay up and don't get cancelled.

The income divide grows every day. Greed is not good. The rich get richer while their employees rely on food stamps more and more. Amazon, McDonalds, Kroger, Walmart, and dollar stores are among the worst offenders for underpaying with the highest number of employees receiving tax payer funded assistance. Yet their CEOs rake in tens of millions in pay. Shareholders take fewer risks as these companies would rather increase their prices to lower income consumers than risk share holder revolt. And they pay stock shares which have created billionaire villainaires like Jeff Bezos and the Walton family. But we have to shop at Amazon and Walmart because it's all that's left in our community or the only thing we can afford. Greed is an evil cycle.

Meanwhile Big AG, including egg companies, receive millions in federal subsidies. They'd rather milk the tax payer and raise prices than reduce CEO pay, board compensation, and shareholder payouts. These companies also pay lower tax rates with some avoiding tax payments altogether.

Unfortunately the cuts included in the big beautiful bill big budget busting bill of July 2025 cuts food stamps benefits, cuts farm aid, cuts food bank assistance, cuts senior assistance programs including meals-on-wheels, cuts farm-to-school food programs, cuts school lunch funding, while increasing funding for ICE deportations of the farm labor force. This occurs on top of DOGE slash-and-burn tactics which gutted and eliminated programs throughout the economy, including vital weather services. Plus the Big Budget Busting Bill gives tax cuts to the wealthiest, greediest bastards among us.

How does this affect everyone? It means food scarcity and fewer affordable food options. Think of the grocery store like a thrift store. Remember getting great deals once-upon-a-time? As the economy falters, more people shop second hand, more people hold onto what they have for longer, and donate these not-so-gently-used goods later. This results in fewer great finds, less quantity overall, and a poorer quality of items which last a shorter period of time. 

In the grocery store, more people will be forced to shop for a limited amount of bulk items meaning you have to buy the smaller items which cost more per ounce. More people will shop for store brands meaning fewer low cost options on the shelves. The big brands will suffer. Del Monte is filing for bankruptcy this week and that means more unemployed and more need. At one point I could count on discounted produce to make banana bread. If it's sold more quickly, it doesn't get to the mark-down stage. 

Basic supply and demand translates to fewer items, therefore higher prices. As deportations and ICE sponsored terrorism continues, then food doesn't get harvested and rots in the fields. Further, the farmers don't get paid and some will lose their farms. Big Ag steps in and the greed cycle is compounded. 

The tariffs are also playing into this for farmers who used to export food to overseas markets with retaliatory tariffs now in place and consumer boycotts of US products. With the stupid on again, off again temper tantrum Trump tariffs, some purchases have stopped or are on hold and our ports now see significantly see less traffic overall. Add in farmers who used to supply USAID with food for hunger and nutrition programs no longer having a market with DOGE destroying USAID and destroying American Goodwill around the globe. Things are just getting worse in the Trump economy.

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Miscellaneous Things to Read

Food

A Capsule Meal Plan I created for my daughter's preferences and needs

Stocking and maintaining a long term pantry

A budget for SNAP/ food stamp recipients

Politics

If you are a Republican, you need this sermon from Pastor John. I'm not a Christian but I appreciate his posts.

America already got rid of one king.

Your conscience should be bothering you about the Trump regime and the Republican party. Listen to this Republican.

The Fall of American Goodwill in a mere 100 days.

THIS is what decent people think of the followers of Trump.

Trump is a Toxic Partner. Leave him!

Thinking jobs abroad will return to American shores? Consider this.

20 Lessons on Tyranny: by Timothy Snyder