Did you know....

[Katy]

That it takes the average American only 37 calendar days to earn enough disposable income to pay for the family's yearly food supply. This equates to 10% of their disposable income. This is the lowest in the world.

In 2008 $115 billion worth of American agricultural products were exported around the world.

Of each $1 spent on food in the US, the farmer or rancher gets 19 cents. The rest of that dollar goes to pay all the middle men between the farmer/rancher and the consumer. In comparison, in 1980 the farmers and ranchers recieved 31 cents of every dollar.

Slightly less than 2% of the US population (4.6 million people) live on farms and ranches.

These figures were in one of our farm publications today.

 

[debilorrah]

WOW!!!! I waste alot of money

 

[GlitterBug]

Oh my: only 19 cents? That just does not seem right. I will keep buying from local growers...hopefully that helps?

 

[Katy]

Quote:
You have to remember that this is for food stuffs only....not all the other things like TP, soaps, cleaners that always get added into a grocery bill.

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:
You have to remember that this is for food stuffs only....not all the other things like TP, soaps, cleaners that always get added into a grocery bill.

Still, that kinda hit home on all the garbage food we buy. Too much!!!

 

[4-H chicken mom]

See, we all need more chickens, pigs, lambs, turkeys, beef, ducks, geese.

 

[ranchhand]

Quote:
You have to remember that this is for food stuffs only....not all the other things like TP, soaps, cleaners that always get added into a grocery bill.

Still, that kinda hit home on all the garbage food we buy. Too much!!!

I think the Cheerios thread just cured me of that!

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:
Still, that kinda hit home on all the garbage food we buy. Too much!!!

I think the Cheerios thread just cured me of that!

Yeah that was a bit odd!!!!

 

[ranchhand]

Quote:
Does it specify the size of the average American family and what the foods are? Even with just the 2 of us, I can't imagine living for a year off of food bought with about 5 weeks of pay. Maybe it it were nothing but beans and rice, but I can't eat that all the time. Meat is so expensive now, and most people don't have the space or means to raise their own. Vegetables and fruits are easy to grow - if you have the space and sunshine.

I'd like to know what criteria the publication used and the size of the sample group in the survey.

 

[Katy]

Quote:
Does it specify the size of the average American family and what the foods are? Even with just the 2 of us, I can't imagine living for a year off of food bought with about 5 weeks of pay. Maybe it it were nothing but beans and rice, but I can't eat that all the time. Meat is so expensive now, and most people don't have the space or means to raise their own. Vegetables and fruits are easy to grow - if you have the space and sunshine.

I'd like to know what criteria the publication used and the size of the sample group in the survey.

It said all the statistics came from the US dept of Agriculture. It was in an article written by the Kansas Farm Bureau head. I'll have to do some digging to find the USDA's report that the figures came from.

I don't buy much processed food because every step in the processing adds more money to it's cost.