How much are Mainers paying for groceries? (neighborhood, organic)

[forest beekeeper]

Originally Posted by CapeCodder

LOL...I haven't heard that in years! Why can't our local birds lay white eggs anyway? Is this even true?

sigh...now that jingle is stuck in my head...who was the woman that sang that diddy?

I produce some brown eggs and some white eggs.

Our plan is to encorporate blue eggs into our product line.

Last night while cleaning and candling our eggs, I put a mixturs into all cartons. So each dozen that I sold today had a mixture of browns and whites. Next winter it will be a mixture of browns, whites and blues.

[dramamama6685]

Originally Posted by Maine Writer

No, it's not true. I have blue and green egg layers. My main flock lays from dark brown to pale tan. Egg shell color is determined by genetics. I think Forest has white egg layers.

Blue and green eggs.. does this mean you just increase production for Easter?

[Maine Writer]

Gees I hope not! I have to feed them year round and this breed already isn't an excellent layer. They better produce more than just Easter. They should start laying by the end of the month. When they do I'll take pics.

[Maine Writer]

Steve's working this morning. Gotta make sure there's enough hog fuel to keep the mill running and chips to keep making pulp - tough times right now. Then he's coming back to get me. He thinks there's nothing to eat in the house. Forget two freezers in the basement, full cupboards, etc. There's nothing to eat. We'll do the monthly shopping trip this afternoon. I'll come back with the receipt to share here.

[starwalker]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

Last night while cleaning and candling our eggs, I put a mixturs into all cartons. So each dozen that I sold today had a mixture of browns and whites. Next winter it will be a mixture of browns, whites and blues.

When I get eggs from my local guy here in NC that is what I get... he only has one, I believe of the araucanas, though, so getting a blue egg is special.

He had taken his sign down last month, so I got out of the habit of reserving egg shopping for the Saturday mail run, and picked them up at the store in town... but I have seen the sign up the last two weeks, so hopefully I will remember this coming week, and can carry him the cartons I have been saving, and get real eggs again.

What time of the year do your chickens start picking up the level of production? I seem to remember ours slowing down massively with the longer nights, even though we turned lights on them for a bit in the evening...

[forest beekeeper]

Originally Posted by starwalker

When I get eggs from my local guy here in NC that is what I get... he only has one, I believe of the araucanas, though, so getting a blue egg is special.

He had taken his sign down last month, so I got out of the habit of reserving egg shopping for the Saturday mail run, and picked them up at the store in town... but I have seen the sign up the last two weeks, so hopefully I will remember this coming week, and can carry him the cartons I have been saving, and get real eggs again.

What time of the year do your chickens start picking up the level of production? I seem to remember ours slowing down massively with the longer nights, even though we turned lights on them for a bit in the evening...

Our first year we got a dozen Rhode Island Reds.

The second year we got three dozen White LegHorns; and we tried all spring long to hatch chicks from our own eggs.

This coming spring we plan to get three dozen araucanas; and we will try again to hatch RR chicks from our own eggs.

I think that we are planning toward maintaining 3 dozen RRs, 3 dozen WLs, and 3 dozen Araucanas.

[starwalker]

I had RI Reds, had a couple who wanted to set but never long enough to get a hatch. I heard, though, that folks sometimes kept banties just for their inclination to set... they'd steal the banty eggs and replace them with eggs from the Reds and the banty moms would do their thing.

Mostly, I guess, the real broodyness has been bred out of them. Or is it with an incubator you are having problems. I have never tried that route.

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

Our first year we got a dozen Rhode Island Reds.

The second year we got three dozen White LegHorns; and we tried all spring long to hatch chicks from our own eggs.

This coming spring we plan to get three dozen araucanas; and we will try again to hatch RR chicks from our own eggs.

I think that we are planning toward maintaining 3 dozen RRs, 3 dozen WLs, and 3 dozen Araucanas.

[Maine Writer]

Asiago Wedge $8.99/lb
Cabot Cheddar for sandwiches $7.49/lb
Bumble Bee Sold White Tuna in Water $1.39
Canada Dry Gingerale 2 litr $1.34
Pesto (8 oz I think) $2.50
Cliff bar - $1.00
Cheerios big box $3.79
Hodgdon Whole Wheat Whole Grain spaghetti 1 lb $1.79
Hodgdon WW WG elbows 1 bl $1.69
Seadog Raspberry Wheat Ale $8.69/6 pk
Hannaford tomato sauce 8 oz .59
King Arthur flour, 25 lbs $12.89
Land O' Lakes Half N Half quart 2.99
Sorrento Mozzarella block $3.99/lb ($6/lb at the deli)
Stoneyfield all natural yogurt 3.59 quart (store brand was $1.19, not all natural)
Bananas .59/lb
Over ripe bananas .69/lb (? usually less expensive)
Braeburn apples $1.29/lb
Sweet Potatoes .99/lb
Jazz apples (from New Zealand, I didn't notice that til I read it on this slip) .99/lb
Sun dried tomatoes in oil, 8 oz jar $5.99

We seldom buy meat and vegetables so I can't be very helpful with that. I got a package of 8 cheddar brats, $3.19.

While I was looking for herbs ($16/lb!!!) I did notice a small head of iceburg lettuce that traveled 3,000 miles from CA (editorial added by locally-grown foodie) was $1.79. 6-7" cucumbers, waxed and wrinkled, .99 each. European cucumber, shrink wrapped, $2.49 each. Leeks were $4/lb.

While I was waiting for at the deli for cheese I took notes:
Tilapia, previously frozen $4.99
Haddock, previously frozen $8.49
Tuna steaks (they looked good) $8.99
Swordfish steaks $7.99
Land O Lakes American cheese, both colors $5.49
LOL Provolone $5.99 on sale
An imported ham $4.99/lb

The fish monger was on the side of the road in Calais. Fresh shrimp was $1.50/lb.

[starwalker]

Originally Posted by Maine Writer

The fish monger was on the side of the road in Calais. Fresh shrimp was $1.50/lb.

WHERE are they getting "fresh" shrimp this time of year?? our shrimp season is in the summer...

[Zymer]

Sea Dog does a raspberry wheat? Gotta try me some o' that.