How to High Food Cost and Growing Your Own Vegetables

The high cost of food and what we can do about it.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Greenhouse

1. Higher fuel prices have created a financial crisis for consumers who now must pay more to drive to the supermarket, and then get hit with higher prices inside the store.

2. Many consumers are buying greenhouses to grow their own vegetables.

3. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), farming costs account for only 19 cents of every dollar consumers spend on groceries at the supermarket.

Tips & Warnings

• A solar greenhouse may be an answer to offset some of our cost for some of our fresh vegetables. Hobby greenhouse gardening is becoming, more popular every day. For more information go to www.prismsolargreenhouses.com.
• High Food Cost and Growing Your Own Vegetables Higher fuel prices have created a financial crisis for consumers who now must pay more to drive to the supermarket, and then get hit with higher prices inside the store. Many consumers are buying greenhouses to grow their own vegetables. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, from March 2007 to March 2008 food prices, have increased by 4.5 percent; transportation costs went up 8.2 percent; fuel prices increased 26.4 percent; and diesel fuel increased a staggering 40.2 percent. As prices continue to climb higher, many people have begun searching for answers such as a greenhouse especially since the salmonella and e-coli scare from imported tomatoes’ and other vegetables. Fuel Prices Eating Away at the Food Dollar According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), farming costs account for only 19 cents of every dollar consumers spend on groceries at the supermarket. This means the remaining portion of grocery expenses are directly attributable to costs other than farming. These costs add up to 81 percent of the food dollar and include marketing, transportation, processing and manufacturing expenses. A solar greenhouse may be an answer to offset some of our cost for some of our fresh vegetables. Hobby greenhouse gardening is becoming, more popular every day. For more information go to www.prismsolargreenhouses.com. “Today a 24- ounce box of corn flakes costs $3.69, which is up more than a dollar. If the corn in the corn flakes increases a nickel, why did the box of corn flakes increase over one dollar and where did the other 95 cents go? It is obvious that you can’t turn a nickel or dime or even a quarter into an increase. It doesn’t add up.” Grocers and restaurant owners have already felt the squeeze of high fuel costs. “It’s has d a major impact with anything that gets trucked in. Transportation of vegetables like tomatoes, lettuce, and onions cost a lot to transport all the way from Mexico and across the United States. Growing your own vegetables in your on back yard greenhouse can be fun, and rewarding. “Transportation costs are the major factor leading to our rising prices. Vendors have added fuel surcharges that can really get expensive.