Bluebirds on the Ground. An update from Denise in Bedfordshire, England.

Denise from Bedforshire was our second reporter this year.   You can read her report here.   

So much has happened since then that Denise said to me to "please tell everyone to get ready,  for me I believe it's just the start."

Denise messaged me last week and things had dramatically unfolded.  In one week some of her vegetable prices had risen by 50%.    Her food budget,  even with being really really careful, has now tripled since this time last year.   

Denise grew a lot last summer but there is very little left in her freezer now,  at the end of winter.   There is some time before she can plant let alone harvest again.   She will be planting all she possibly can this year.  Her Grandparents called this time "the hungry gap."   The period between when last years harvest was low or non existent and when a new harvest comes in.    Denise says the UK is now in the hungry gap.

The supermarkets have introduced limits on what you can buy.  Denise is allowed three packets of vegetables or fruit but when she went shopping this was in theory only as the choice was very poor and also what was there was in poor condition.  

The Environment Secretary said people should just make do with Turnips.  So no help there.   I would encourage anyone interested in WHY there are so many issues to research.   It is a lot of things.   For instance one is the price of electricity.   One of the largest tomato growers in the UK said that it has empty glasshouses for the first time in 75 years... because it is just too expensive to warm them now.   Another issue is fertiliser... shortages and prices... which are world wide problems.   I am telling you because I don't want you to think "oh this is England and I don't have to worry" because the cost of fuel, electricity, gas and fertiliser... have they gone up in your country?  Probably yes!   This will translate on to the shelves.   These are mostly widespread issues.   In the city it is easy to not consider that getting food on to the shelves takes fuel and energy,  labor and fertiliser.    If they have ALL gone up in price at once... then the cost and availability of food is going to take an enormous hit.   When something becomes too expensive to produce then it is likely to just disappear.  If it is not viable, it's not viable.  We are at the beginning of this not the end.    Lea Valley near London is known as the salad bowl.   It has grown the salad supplies for years but now with high costs growers have applied to knock down acres and acres of greenhouses and just sell them for housing developments.    That is the reality.  Things have changed and rapidly.  Alternative sources such as greenhouses in the Netherlands are in the same trouble.  Shortages mean price increases.   It is really the same to a family that cannot afford the food or cannot find it... either way it is not on the table.   It is not an easy fix.   Then you get people who say well just buy something else.   When MILLIONS of people "just buy something else" the alternatives also become low in supply.   You cannot take a lot of out the supply chain with no effect.    We currently have missing items too especially potato related.   Once I became used to "the new normal" I made it my motto that if I can't get what I want to get what I can get.  Rather than run low and hold out continue to build up your pantry as you can with what you can.

Jamie Oliver just began a new series called One Pound Wonders.   The first recipe I looked at is called No oven Pizza.  It's actually brilliant.  It begins with a description that lets you know you don't have to turn the oven on.  This says it all.  Turning the oven on is now a fearful thing due to the costs.   Good for him on trying to give people ideas that might help.    I was talking to a friend today and she also said she very seldom puts the oven on.  And my friend is a very good cook!  She cooks a lot!  The oven is too expensive and so we have moved to smaller appliances that will do the job.   For this to be such a thing that chefs are designing no oven recipes.... well that just blows me away.  

Denise has two chickens and is trying to get a couple more.  She says feed for the chickens was 8.99 (Pounds)  last year but is 24 Pounds now.  However it is still worth it because even if not cheap at least she knows she will have some eggs.   She also plans to plant absolutely all she can as soon as Spring weather kicks in.  Denise's farm friend had 54 chickens and a week ago a fox got in and killed 50 of them!  What timing!   Denise I do appreciate you keeping us updated and letting me share the info.   This gives us all a lot to consider.  

It is pretty sobering that in the space of just under eight weeks things are quite a lot harder.    Denise's husband can go fishing and hunt rabbits on their friends farm.   Like in the war years and Great Depression having friends or family on a farm is a big help.  

Well,  I have tomatoes, zucchini and pears to process.  I am going to get busy tomorrow morning! xxx