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Hi there. We've moved around so much lately - food was very cheap in CO, very expensive in WA, and now we're kind of in between here in FL. I'm kind of having to make a food budget from scratch. So, could anyone fill me in on what the price of food might be in West Virginia? I don't know if it varies regionally... we don't know where we will be yet, though, so all answers are fair game. We plan on growing SOME food, but I don't want to factor that into our food budget, at least not in the first couple of years.
Do any of you buy cows, pigs, etc. by the quarter/half/whole, and what would you pay for them? How about produce, milk?
Do people tend to keep chickens? I don't know what the city ordinances are - we're not sure how rural we're going to be, and might end up within town borders. Are cities generally chicken friendly? We don't want a bunch, but maybe a couple of egg-layers.
Grains, spices, teas, and such we usually get in bulk from online, so those aren't super important to price...
Food price will vary depending on what type of store you go to, even in the same area. Milk, for example, can be anywhere from $2.99 at places like Aldi and Kroger to over $4.00 at smaller, local grocery stores or places like Target.
Fruit is cheaper when in season of course and it is often cheaper at some of the local Farmer's Markets. I can't remember the price range at this time. You can get fresh, free range eggs at the Farmer's Market from the $2-$3 range. They can be slightly less for the grocery store brand but the quality usually isn't as good.
With regards to meat, we have a butcher here in Huntington that has packages where you can get a variety of meat very cheap. It is also better quality meat that has come from local farmers as well.
You can get spices pretty cheap at the local grocery here in Huntington as well called Julian's Market. The owner is from Lebanon and he tries to carry some foreign food items as well. They also have a great meat department as well. Since they are smaller though, some of their items can be more expensive but the customer service is excellent, espeically when Mr. Saad is there himself.
Bumping for an Update how are food prices and the tax rate now
And can you have Chickens and Rabbit in town.
Laws change all the time and there may be one or more locations in West Virginia that have restrictions against domestic livestock, but after reading through the ordinances of the state and the principle cities, I could find none. Rabbits were listed with domestic households and not domestic stock the way cows, horses, foul and even some animals like mink and chinchilla. All of the cities and state have fairly extensive restrictions on permits, license and health expectations for all animals. Abandonment and cruelty carries very heavy fines. Even roosters are allowed inside the city limits.
I know a retired officer and I asked him about this and he said it was usually down to judgment calls for law enforcement. Most offices quickly come to 'know' their beat and they assume the general opinion of who is a responsible and who is not. Leeway is granted for exceptions if they believe no harm was intended AND no harm came from an event, such as an escaping animal or an over zealous rooster.
All in all, I was a bit surprised that West Virginia and the principle cities have an agricultural/farm mindset on this issue.
People that have only lived in West Virginia will tell you the food is expensive but do not believe it. It is dirt cheap here as are the utilities except for cable providers, who soak the residents. The most expensive grocer in the state is Kroger and they are middle of the road in other states, in my experience.
I shop a Kroger owned chain now that has not re-branded yet but all the house brands are K brand. I wonder if prices are the same
I ask about the chickens and rabbit because i plan to get back into gardening as i'm retired and have nothing to do and limited income and i'm supposed to eat a lot of veggies. Rabbits can live off of your household vegetable left overs more then most animals so they are cheap to raise. And of course chickens lay free omelets, and I promise not to do like my grandmother and have 200 chickens and head shoot the ones for dinner
I moved back down to south Louisiana 2 years ago after living in Wirt and Ritchie counties in W.V. for 16 years. Miss those hills so much that I'm heading back asap. While it was only in Ritchie county where I lived just barely within town (Cairo - very small) limits, both Wirt and Ritchie allowed rabbits and chickens with town limits. Of course, checking with any nearby neighbors regarding having a rooster on the grounds, is a good idea. Luckily, the few neighbors I had said they enjoyed hearing the early morning crow. You may see some larger livestock with the limits (cattle, goats) but just sparcely, and only because they'd been "grandfathered" in, prior to ordinances being established against livestock within city/town limits.
Always a fan of Krogers, I'd began to do most of my shopping at the Shop n Save grocery store which is of a chain being seen spreading to more W.V. towns. Although, for specialty items, I'd occasionally drive the extra 10 miles (closest Krogers). Of course groceries are high everywhere but I'd not realized how fair the costs were in W.V. until moving back down south...everything in South Louisiana is outrageous in comparison.
Your rabbits shall still need pellets bought but for the meat plus bonus of awesome "put straight on the garden" fertilizer - they're well worth it. You probably know that the best meat breed is New Zealands and they thrive well in W.V. due to only a month or so of uncomfortable summer heat. Heck with eating those tough old layers! Keep a few laying hens and order cornish roaster chicks from murray mcmurray hatcheries - they grow off at 6-7 weeks, eat like darn draft horses (although you can do like I always did and mix my own to subsidize 1/3 or so of their feed) - not a huge savings from grocery bought birds but MUCH better for the table! Anyway, much of my rambling is likely nothing you didn't already know but hope some part was informative! blessings, dinah
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We plan on growing SOME food, but I don't want to factor that into our food budget, at least not in the first couple of years.
