Never mind hunting for a needle in a haystack — what if you’re hunting for the actual haystack? Last summer’s drought across the nation’s agricultural belt has led to a spate of hay thefts as farmers face record prices for this crucial livestock feed.
drought
Pumpkin Prices Higher as Crop Successfully Endures Drought
Last year’s flooding throughout the Midwest pushed prices of some pumpkins 60% higher around the U.S. This year, widespread drought is causing prices to edge up once more because of several regional shortages. But this time, …
On the Great Lakes, a Dry Summer Slows a Recovering Shipping Industry
Low water levels on the Mississippi River, which have snarled cargo traffic and completely halted hundreds of barges at a time, got most of the media attention during this year’s arid summer. But the weird weather is also having …
So About That ‘Unavoidable Bacon Shortage’? You Can Stop Freaking Out Now
Aporkalypse! Baconpocalyse! Bacon-geddon! “Pig out” now! The news that a global shortage of bacon and pork products is “unavoidable” has been met with mass hysteria, albeit mostly the ironic kind. But will there be an actual …
As Barges Sit Idle Along the Mississippi, the Economic Costs Grow
Close to 100 tows sit motionless in the shriveled Mississippi River along an 11-mile stretch outside of Greenville, Miss. For every day a single towboat sits idle, it costs about $10,000. So when you’ve got at least 97 of them …
Fire Up the Barbecue? Drought Will Bring on Cheaper Meat Prices for a Spell
This summer’s historic drought is bound to yield rising prices at the supermarket. The awful harvest of corn and soybeans is causing their prices to soar, and since they’re utilized in so many other foods—cereal, soda, feed for …
The Not-So-Mighty Mississippi: How the River’s Low Water Levels Are Impacting the Economy
For those who make their living along the Mississippi River, helping ship many of the country’s most vital commodities, this year’s drought has inevitably raised the specter of 1988. That’s when the river got so low that …
Curious CapitalistFederal Reserve
Money Talking: Has the Fed Run out of Tools?
Does the Fed have any weapons still left in it’s arsenal to help the economy? How much will the drought drive up food prices this year? For thoughts on this, as well as how much steam the U.S. Manufacturing boom still has left, check out WNYC’s Money Talking with myself and Joe Nocera.
Thanks to Heat Wave, Grocery Prices Are Likely to Spike by the Fall
The heat wave that scorched much of the U.S. for the last month was brutal. But there’s more pain to come, this time in the form of higher food prices.
How the Heat Wave’s Affecting Your Wallet, Your Food and Your Holiday Weekend
The science behind rising temperatures is up for debate, but what can’t be argued is that increasingly hot summers are having a big impact on our lives and our economy.
U.S. Beef Prices Rising Thanks to Drought in Southwest
The smallest cattle herd in 60 years is likely to push the price of beef, already at record levels, even higher.
